Articles Posted in financial wellness

There are consequences for living from paycheck to paycheck. Emergencies arise when a person has no reserves to meet the crisis. Student loan debt can appear, and those monthly payments are required. An individual can get out of trouble if he or she knows what to do.

Young employees lived on Ramen noodles and an allowance during college years. Sizable paychecks are generous and credit cards are easy to get. It does not take too long before that new worker struggles with significant credit card debts and has trouble making the monthly payments. Continue reading

There is a lot of positive chatter about student debt loan forgiveness these days. Some are predicting as much as $50,000 per student and everyone is eagerly awaiting more news. We hope things happen that will benefit students; they deserve a break! However, we remain a little skeptical. Politicians often promise too much and deliver too little.

Employers often help financially beleaguered employees. They offer tuition reimbursement and those employees who are still in school much appreciate that. This generosity does not impact existing debt. An organization can add to its help by offering a financial wellness plan. This is a form of pre-paid assistance that does not have to cost the employer anything. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has one of the best programs in the industry. Our financial wellness options include help with college debt. Continue reading

It is a brand-new year, and everyone has a resolution or two on their bucket list. Some of these goals are short term and will be completed by February. Others are intended to last for months, if not years. Those can be life-changing events. A significant resolution is taking control of those credit card balances.

Folks were generous during the holiday season and now it is time to pay up. Credit balances ballooned and so did the minimum payments. The debt may have caused a person to reach the maximum on a credit card, which generates a big challenge. Double-digit interest charged on an existing balance can threaten financial wellness.

Home remedies for credit card debt do not always work and can result in dramatic changes to a personal budget. It helps if a person can connect to an expert who can offer sound advice on safeguarding financial wellness. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services can provide the type of assistance that a money-conscious employee can use.

January is the start of a new year and a new tomorrow for many. Resolutions are made with every intention of being met. Some of these good thoughts can use a little help from experienced professionals.

Financial Wellness Is Pondered

Folks often take stock of their finances as the new year starts. They want to plan how to meet expenses and save for large purchases. These are common planning objectives, and some are quite important. Continue reading

COVID-19 has caused big changes in the academic world. Football games are canceled and classes on Zoom are more frequent. Campuses are going virtual, but something has not changed: tuition.

Students are required to pay for their classes and may take out major loans to afford the price. Loans are creating higher levels of anxiety among students. College debt is threatening the financial wellness of many, and many important life decisions are being delayed or given up on because of the figures. Organizations offer tuition assistance, but additional help is necessary. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers a financial wellness benefit that gives substantial support. Continue reading

Personal finances are a touchy subject. Everyone wants to feel responsible and money-sensible, but things happen. There can be sudden emergencies, such as medical bills, that mess up the best-laid plans.

Some find budgeting a challenge. They get used to living from paycheck to paycheck and rarely save any money. The kind of confusion that will harm financial wellness becomes a part of life. That should not happen, but it does. The mess only gets worse, but we can help end the cycle. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has a benefits program to improve employees’ financial wellness. Continue reading

Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, this is the time of year when people feel generous and give gifts. 

Employees feel the same way. Holiday bonuses and other extraordinary things are given out to employees to celebrate the season. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services thinks that this is the right time to present employees with a benefit they will greatly appreciate in the years to come.

A Primary Thought of All Employees

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) recently conducted a study on financial wellness that produced interesting results. The published report,” 2020 EBRI Financial Wellbeing Employer Survey: COVID-19 Driving Benefit Offerings and Potentially Forcing of Budget Decisions,” shows a definite change in the focus of financial wellness programs. Instead of concentrating on retirement savings, there is more concern about employee personal finances’ overall stability.

Important Discoveries

The study shows productivity to be a driving force for financial wellness programs in addition to employee retention. COVID-19 has caused incredible anxiety among employees who are worried about money issues. The stress can impact performance and employers understand the need to respond proactively. Coaching is a topic being addressed and forward-thinking employers are reviewing the impact of healthcare. Continue reading

Personal finances are preoccupying many employees. A person may be doing well but still is worried about the money. Will he or she make enough to get to the end of the month? Can those major bills such as college debt be paid promptly? Are penalties assessed for late payments? Concern about cash can distract a hard-working employee from critical work projects. Countrywide has a program that deals with financial wellness. We enhance the quality of our services by using the right tools.

Assessing Cash Flow and Value

Sensible planning requires understanding cash flow. No one should live from paycheck to paycheck, but people do this because they don’t know where the money is going. Countrywide’s nationwide network of certified counselors will help end the confusion. Continue reading

Black Friday is the biggest consumer spending day of the year. Consumers pull out the plastic and search online and traditional stores for all bargains. Some buyers will discover their credit cards are about to be maxed out. How did that happen?

Top Heavy Balances

Stimulus checks helped, but many people ran short of money during the lockdowns. These people were forced to use their credit cards frequently. The financial wellness of many became problematic. The balances grew top-heavy with debt and not because of impulse buying. The credit cards were needed for survival. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services understands the anxiety created by credit debt. We have a benefit plan that addresses financial wellness. We want to help plan members regain control of their finances. Continue reading