Articles Posted in Human Resources

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In our last blog, we discussed the possibilities facing homeowners after Hurricane Irene rained down upon the east coast. Often, homeowners are under the impression that their homeowner’s policy protects them from almost anything, including flooding and storm damage. Unfortunately, homeowners insurance policies can be very nuanced and complicated. One might lack certain coverage that they think they have. Prepaid legal services can help assure that one’s policy protects them in the way they imagine.

Hurricane Irene brought floodwaters to those who normally do not see them. Those new to being touched by flooding surely got a rapid-fire lesson in homeowner’s policies, having never had to file such a claim -or, for that matter, finding out they could not.

Paul Schollenberger is one of those who got a startling reply after inquiring with his homeowner’s insurance provider post-Irene. Schollenberger, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a 26-year-old college graduate. After moving back home with his parents after graduation, Schollenberger scrimped and saved from his first paychecks as an advertising consultant. Eventually, he was able to put a down-payment on a house.

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There is no secret that the best way for a company to run is to have all the wheels turning with as few clogs as possible and there is a way pre-paid legal services can help. Think of your business in Dallas, Texas as a football team. Now the most success you will have is to draft well, have the same solid structure at coach, management and even quarterback for years. Those are the teams that have the most success and the ones that often fail are the ones that draft poorly and have new coaches, new managers, and new players every few years. You need to build a consistent structure that will not fail. Of course there will always be new players and a few new coaches as people’s lives and goals change but the less you have to change, the better you off you are. The same can be said for any business, the stronger the structure, the better the company runs. That means it is very important to not only find the right players or employees but to make sure they stay with you for a long time. So how can you do that? Well salary is one thing but that’s not the only thing. A major factor in why people take one job over another is which company offers the best benefits such as health coverage, financial planning, and even legal service plans.

Since 1995, the top 100 companies in the United States (based on strength within industry as well as financial gains) are all listed within the top 150 corporations to work for.

The list of top 150 corporations to work for does not have anything to do with how much money you can make, it has to do with structure, benefits and the ability to move up in the company. Think about that for a moment, having the best employees, having the best company isn’t based on what you are actually paying people? That actually makes sense and it is a big reason why you need to offer a great employee benefits package which includes pre-paid legal services from Countrywide. These services are great because they offer your employees access to a network of qualified and experienced attorneys who cover nearly every legal field imaginable including; foreclosure, identity theft, bankruptcy, divorce, wills and other legal documents, and so much more. The added bonus is that you do not have to pay for these prepaid legal services, your employees do but that cost is covered with very small payroll deductions. The numbers don’t lie and if you want to have a company that is strong from the bottom up you need to build a structure that includes a strong benefits program.

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Jill and her husband just split up. Her income has been cut in half. She now raises three kids, all under age 10, by herself. So far this morning, she has gotten up at 5:30 and made six meals -breakfast and lunch for her children. By 7:30, she has gotten the children and herself ready for school and work. When she finally gets on the expressway to work, she gets a phone call -the oldest needs her homework dropped off at school. Now, running 10 minutes behind schedule, Jill gets on the expressway for the second time, only to have a car rear-end her. The cops come. The car needs work. By the time Jill gets to work for a half-day, her productivity is questionable. Prepaid Legal Services can help ease employee woes by helping to provide a safety net for people like Jill.

Steffani Wilk and Nancy Rothbard, professors at Ohio State University and Penn’s Wharton School respectively, conducted a study that quantifies the correlation and causation between employee mood and office productivity. In an article released by Wharton summarizing the study, the writer states,
“They discovered, the mood you bring with you to work has a stronger effect on the day’s mood — and on work performance — than mood changes caused by events in the workplace. This finding, according to Rothbard, suggests that a business’s performance might be enhanced by efforts to help employees cope with mood-affecting influences in their private lives — including advising employees on how to best handle commuting hassles or offering counseling for family problems.”

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You are reading this online right now. You might check your email in a few minutes. Oh, and do not forget about adding money to your child’s college credit card. And somewhere, in between checking out funny videos on Youtube and posting in your favorite hobby forum, you will buy an expensive gift with your debit card and have it shipped directly to the recipient. You lead your life in a virtual, online world, but are you safe there? You lock your car and your house -are you locking your online activity to keep the virtual criminals at bay? Pre-paid legal services can help keep an eye on your online activity to ensure you are not being hacked.

By now you are thinking, “I don’t need extra online security. I have passwords and secure servers for that!” Think again. According to John Pozadzides in this article on computer passwords, 20% of internet users use the same passwords from a list of 10. That means that hackers can immediately access passwords for various accounts for 20% of online users.

The remaining 80%? Pozadzides writes, “One of the simplest ways to gain access to your information is through the use of a brute-force attack. This is accomplished when a hacker uses a specially written piece of software to attempt to log into a site using your credentials.” Chances are, you use one or two password for all your online accounts. Once a hacker implements their system, they can quickly gain access to your bank accounts and other personal information. Revisit our previous blog post on identity theft for a personal story on the effect of a hacker. Pre-paid legal services through Countrywide can protect individuals from a nightmare at the hands of a hacker.

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You’re in debt? It sounds like you have an illness or something doesn’t it? There’s little that can help, especially legal service plans right? Well the fact is that the majority of Americans are facing some form of debt and many of them are living paycheck to paycheck right now. They share a collective motto right now, “every day, little by little.” Unfortunately the big bad lenders, who were so greedy and ambitious a few years ago in approving bad loan after bad loan, have grown tired and impatient. They want their money and they want it now! Ironically these are the same companies that needed help from the government so they could stay in business. But they don’t care about that, they want your debt paid now and if you can’t handle that then they have no problem forcing you into foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Can you believe that there are actually lenders who have refused to take payments from clients because they do not want them to get caught up? This is a serious problem and as frustrating as it is, there is not much you can do. You cannot afford a high end lawyer who can challenge these bullies and get them off your back. But there might be a way to get the help you need if you have pre-paid legal services at Countrywide. This is not a debt settlement plan; this is not fighting fire with fire. Any intelligent person will tell you that the best route is to fight fire with water and in this case the water is prepaid legal services.

The way it works is by having this employee benefit you do not have to pay for face to face consultations. You also do not have to look through the phone book to find an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy.

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When you look at which employee benefit is the most valuable you have to look at more than convenience. Yes it is great to have health insurance that lets you worry about getting healthy rather than paying the doctors’ bills but are you really getting an amazing deal with health insurance offered by your employer? Studies have shown that over thirty percent of people who have medical coverage through their employer are actually paying more than they would if they found their own policy elsewhere. People assume that having legal service plans provided through their employer is a less valuable benefit than medical coverage. However, if you compare the two there is a clear cut winner and that is pre-paid legal services at Countrywide. The reason this is the clear cut winner is because it is impossible to get the same kind of service for the same price without using prepaid legal services.

If you have to deal with any legal matter, personal injury, divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, buying a home, identity theft, legal documents, or anything else then you are going to need the assistance of an attorney. Without the assistance of an attorney you could be putting your financial wellbeing in serious jeopardy. However, signing up for legal service plans through your employer just so you have access to an attorney at all times is not the main reason why you would want this benefit. The main reason you would want this benefit is because there is no possible way you will find a better deal financially for the assistance of an experienced attorney.

The way Countrywide works is that it gives you unlimited access to a network of qualified, reliable, and experienced attorneys who specialize in the field you need assistance in. Rather than searching through the phone books to find someone all you have to do is tap into the network that is available to you at all times. And what is the cost of this great resource? You do not have to worry about that because prepaid legal services are covered through small payroll deductions. The shock is that these small payroll deductions are actually much smaller than that of medical coverage yet people still think that the best benefit to have is health insurance. Some skeptics may also believe that you will not need legal assistance as much as you will need medical assistance and they may have a point. However, ask anyone who has recently gone through a rough divorce what was more expensive for them the past year, their health care or their attorney’s fees? The answer may surprise you.

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People make the mistake of labeling anyone who has needed to declare bankruptcy in New York as someone who has lost their job. The fact is that over forty percent of people who declare bankruptcy still have their job; the problem is they no longer make enough money to support themselves and therefore have to declare bankruptcy. You cannot declare on your own and there are too many legal matters to address. There are dozens of things that can play a part in declaring bankruptcy while you still have your job. A spouse loses their job, interest rates on loans sky rocket, you are being sued, you have suffered from identity theft, your savings was drained due to poor investing, and so many more possibilities. Finding the right legal help is important but it will not be cheap. There is a lot of work that needs to be done and if you are unable to find the right representation this matter can grow even more complicated for you.

This is why people who have prepaid legal services offered through their work have an easier time filing for bankruptcy than those who do not have some type of prepaid legal services. The numbers do not lie; the majority of people who have pre-paid legal services offered directly through their employer are able to have all legal matters taken care of within half the time when compared to those who do not have this service offered to them through work. Another interesting fact is that this service also is much cheaper than if you are forced to find legal assistance on your own. The way Pre-Paid Legal Services at Countrywide works is that it is an employee benefit offered through your human resources department. That means it is paid with small payroll deductions which makes payments much easier on you. Also rather than having to find your own attorney which can sometimes feel like playing pin the tail on the donkey with a phone book, you are connected to a vast network of qualified, certified, and experienced attorneys. The great thing about this network of attorneys is that you will have access to someone who has direct experience in the area you need help with. So if you need to file bankruptcy, you will have a bankruptcy attorney to help you. These services cannot be beaten if you are searching for help on your own, and there is no way you will find more affordable legal services.

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We live in a busy world. Often, when one wants things done around our homes, they turn to experts to take on the challenge for us. When one hires a contractor to complete work in their home, they are putting their very sanctuary in the hands of another person. Therefore, one needs to be prepared for the worst as they hope for the best when signing themselves up to have construction done on their home.

As reported by NBC News, some home contractors are often not what they appear to be. Victoria Corderi reports, “The home contracting industry nationally does $200 billion in business each year. There certainly are many honest contractors. But authorities estimate that millions of dollars are lost to unscrupulous ones.” Just ask the single mother in the article who hired a contractor to remodel her home -instead of a finished basement, the contractor left the home in shambles. The homeowner, left to fix the rotting foundation the contractor left behind, is facing foreclosure and debt exceeding $100,000. Often, there is no legal recourse for homeowners who have their trust violated by seedy contractors.

Pre-paid legal services can ensure that homeowners may rest assured while they have contracting work done on their homes. Instead of signing an unscrupulously written contract without knowing it, pre-paid legal services can provide document review services so a homeowner knows exactly what to expect during the course of their home repair or remodeling.

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Superior, happy employees are a business’ greatest asset. Sure, a good business might look like a well-oiled machine, but if one crucial part stops working, the entire mechanism is halted. It goes without saying that not enough importance can be placed on valuing employees who work toward the organization’s common goal. Pre-paid legal services can help you show your value.

As an employer, you already offer your employees a great benefits package. You make sure they and their families can get affordable, quality health care. Heck, you might even make sure they get vacation time so they stay super-charged and efficient at work. Why not, then, include a valuable legal services package in your employees’ benefits program?

One in two couples will divorce eventually. In Pennsylvania alone in 2009, there were 121,242 reported car accidents, 87,126 of those resulting in injuries. Just these two common situations alone cause a significant amount of strife in an employee’s personal life. When an employee starts to worry about solving and paying for any legal issues that shall arise, they start to become a broken link within the organization.

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If you are a victim of identity theft there are some options you may have and there is actually a way pre-paid legal services can help you. Wilmington, Delaware may not seem like a hot spot for identity theft but in reality no city is safe from this world wide crime. Identity theft incidences has gone up every year over the past decade mainly because of the personal information we put on our websites. This doesn’t mean social security numbers and bank account passwords and account numbers like most people think however. The real way we burn ourselves is with social networking, emails, registering with sites, and other things. These sites require or request information such as our names, date of birth, location where we live, credit card numbers, and other information. That information can be seen by anyone, especially on a social networking site, and is more than enough for people to steal your identity. The good news is that while the crime has grown year after year, putting a stop to it and recovering has also become much easier. Once you have become aware you are a victim of this crime you simply contact the proper authorities and everything will be taken care of, or so it seems. There are other problems that need to be dealt with that may include legal matters and for that you may want an attorney.

This is where you would have a great advantage if you had Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services. The prepaid legal services would put you in contact with a network of qualified attorneys who have handled hundreds of identity theft cases in the past and can help you fully recover from this matter in no time at all. In addition, Countrywide Pre-Paid Paid Legal Services offers stand alone comprehensive identity theft and credit monitoring plans that can be offered as a voluntary benefit. The best part of having legal service plans or identity theft plans is the fact that the cost is nonexistent to you because it is covered by small payroll deductions just like other employee benefits but it is actually much cheaper than the others are. So instead of having to worry about finding an attorney and then paying them, prepaid legal services will put you in direct contact with an attorney that can help you immediately at no charge. Another great thing is that no matter where you live, the network of attorneys available to you are local so you will get unlimited face to face assistance for any legal situation you find yourself in. Legal service plans are a great advantage to have as an employee and one of the best employee benefits a company can offer.