Transcript
January 2011
Welcome
We hope that you will enjoy reading the articles in this edition of the Don- Rick Insurance e- newsletter!
Don- Rick Insurance www.don- rick.com Baraboo Office 313 Oak Street Baraboo, WI 53913 Locally: 608-356-6606 Toll Free: 800-924-6536 Fax: 608-356-9022 Personal Lines Dept: Nancy Howard Ext 12 Pam Bredesen Ext 19 Matt Klemm Ext 14 Commercial Lines Dept: Wendy Gerken Ext 10 Ed Kothbauer Ext 29 Kerry Alaimo Ext 13 Medicare Supplements & Individual Health: Sarah Lewison Ext 15 Group Benefits: Kelly Okapal Ext 16 Bookkeeping: Mary Randazzo Ext 17 Portage Office 236 W. Cook Street Portage, WI 53901 Locally: 608-742-5548 Toll Free: 800-657-4924 Personal Lines Dept: Dennis Rupers Ext 103 Lynne Clark Ext 101
Agency Owners: Dan Lewison Ext 20 Eric Lewison Ext 18
What's New This Month Long- Term Care and Its Impact on Families Ten Reasons You Need Life Insurance What You Need to Know About Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Long- Term Care and Its Impact on Families Long- Term Care and Its Impact on Families You probably haven't thought about it much, but what would you do if you suddenly suffered from serious health conditions, such as a disability? Would a family member be able to take you in and care for you? What would the impact be on their immediate family in regards to finances and emotion? What if a family member suddenly suffered from serious health conditions? Would you be able to afford taking them in? Would you sacrifice money as well as time with your children in order to care for them? These are questions most people overlook. By doing so, they're leaving themselves and their families exposed. To protect you and your family from unfortunate future circumstances, you need long- term care insurance. There's a good chance you know of a friend or family member that has needed long- term care. With people living longer, it has become more of an issue. This is why it's imperative you talk with loved ones to devise a plan that will protect them in the future. It's never too early to start discussing long- term care insurance options. The earlier you get started, the less you will pay over the life of the policy. Likewise, the longer you wait, the more the price will increase. By purchasing a policy now, you could prevent a significant nest egg erosion, which can destroy a family's worth for generations. If something unfortunate happened to a loved one in the near future, would you know what to do? Probably not. This is why long- term care insurance is so important. It protects you from having to face such a serious dilemma. It will allow you to prepare correctly – with ease and at very affordable rates. That said, it's important that you work with a trusted long- term care specialist. Long- term care insurance won't only help with finances and emotional stress, but it will help improve the quality of life for the individual in need of care. This will be done by keeping the family member in their own home, a familiar environment, and enjoy family activities and memorable moments. When it comes to finances, long- term care insurance will help protect your children's inheritance as well as your retirement plans. It's important that you don't fall into the trap of denial or procrastination. Too many people claim they wish they had purchased long- term care insurance before it was too late. This is a situation you want to avoid. Ask yourself if you want to be the family member who protected others by purchasing long- term care insurance ahead of time, or do you want to end up in an awkward position when something unfortunate happens, feeling lost? Long- term care insurance isn't a traditional investment like stocks or real estate. It's an investment in your family's future. Contact Dan Lewison today to learn more about long- term care insurance!
Ten Reasons You Need Life Insurance Ten Reasons You Need Life Insurance We hear the stories every day. People dying suddenly from heart attacks or freak car accidents. That makes us think, what if that happened to me? Consider these 10 reasons for owning life insurance: 1. Debts - What happens to your debts if you die right now? Existing bills, medical and funeral costs. It's a debtor Mount Everest on which you strand your family without life insurance. Who covers the expenses you
1. Debts - What happens to your debts if you die right now? Existing bills, medical and funeral costs. It's a debtor Mount Everest on which you strand your family without life insurance. Who covers the expenses you have amassed already and those you leave behind? 2. Your family may lose their home - Will they face foreclosure? Be forced to sell? They've just lost you now they may lose their home, too. Who will be there to pay the mortgage when you can't be? 3. Family lifestyle - Most couples in this day and age must both work to sustain their families. Think of the vacations and Christmas mornings your income provides. 4. Income for necessities - What about school for your children? Do you envision them going on to college? Who will pay when you're gone? 5. Your spouse's sleepless nights - They already have to deal with an empty bed. How many sleepless nights will there be for him/ her? Life insurance assures peace of mind 6. The legalities - There may well be taxes and legal and probate costs to cover. Life insurance can leave taxfree money to your beneficiary to cover such expenses. 7. Quality care for your kids - What about the expenses that health insurance doesn't cover? Will they go to the better doctors? Does your son depend upon asthma medication? Does your daughter need braces? Will they one day? If so, who pays for that without you? 8. Your extended family - With uncertain times, with retirement benefits vanishing, who will care for your parents as they are too old to care for themselves? Will you be there for them as they were there for you? 9. The Unexpected - A young mother killed in a car crash. Six months later, her husband dies of a heart attack. They left five minor children. You may think "my spouse will take care of them" but what if he/ she can't? 10. Pride - How do you want to be remembered? As someone who thought of his family enough to provide for them in your absence? In closing, are you even eligible for life insurance? At rates you can afford? As we age, our health issues become paramount. Tomorrow you will be older than you are today. Tomorrow is promised to no one. The time to think of life insurance is today. Call our office today to review which type of life insurance best fits your needs!
What You Need to Know About Carbon Monoxide Poisoning The changing of the seasons usually brings along a laundry list of chores to most homeowners, in addition to some chilly weather. One task that should be at the top of the list is making sure your home's carbon monoxide (CO) detector is working properly. The presence of carbon monoxide gas is almost impossible to detect without some sort of device. The gas is odorless, colorless, and invisible, and can weave its way throughout your home much easier in the winter months. CO gases are created when heating elements that use natural gas, propane, wood, or oil do not completely burn off their fuels. Breathing in these fumes poisons the body and can be deadly. The effects may appear mild at first, as the individual begins to feel dizzy and nauseous, but can quickly turn to exertion and loss of consciousness. Fortunately, carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable by performing routine safety checks around the house, and by installing and maintaining carbon monoxide detectors within the home. Proper maintenance of the home's cooking and heating sources is the best place to start, but also consider safeguarding the house from the exhaust fumes of generators and vehicles. Recent statistics from the U.S. National Safety Council show that the two leading causes of accidental death from gases or vapors come from carbon monoxide given off by running vehicles and cooking and heating equipment. The Center for Disease Control and the National Fire Protection Agency agree that having carbon monoxide detectors in the home is a family's best line of defense against poisoning. Follow these tips to help protect your home from this deadly gas: • Only use CO detectors that have been approved by a qualified, independent testing laboratory. • The sensors in CO devices do not last forever. Abide by the manufacturer's suggested replacement interval. • Battery- powered detectors should receive new batteries once a year, unless the directions give a different time frame. • Choose a centralized location outside of the family's sleeping area to install the detector, making sure that its alarm can clearly be heard in each bedroom. • List the phone numbers of the local fire and rescue services with your other emergency contacts. • Perform a monthly test on all carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are powered and working. In the event that your detector's alarm sounds, immediately evacuate your home, leaving doors open and turning off cooking and heating equipment, if possible. Alert the fire department and seek appropriate medical attention if anyone shows symptoms of CO poisoning. After the carbon monoxide levels return to normal, have your home's equipment inspected for leaks and areas of weakness by a qualified technician. Remember, carbon monoxide poisoning is serious and deadly, and its symptoms should never be taken lightly. By following the tips mentioned above, you can help protect yourself and your family from the "silent killer" during the wintertime and throughout the year.
The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about industry trends and news of general interest to our clients, potential clients and other professionals. Information about product offerings, services, or benefits is illustrative and general in description, and is not intended to be relied on as complete information. While every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, we do not warranty the accuracy of the information.
