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stockfresh_6387113_gavel-and-stethoscope-on-table_sizeS-300x200We have talked about the importance of living wills and how a person’s wishes for medical care are safeguarded if that person becomes unresponsive. It is essential to look at a companion legal document that supports the living will: medical powers of attorney. Group legal plans should include medical powers of attorney with any offering of a living will. It is the active agent.

The Power to Direct

The intent is to name a trusted individual to be the agent of the unresponsive patient in matters dealing with medical care. It includes making sure that religious considerations are honored, and specific treatments are used. Medical powers of attorney can relieve family members of decision-making burdens. It is hard enough emotionally to deal with the possibility of a loved one dying. Giving instructions on when to turn off the life support system is excruciating for a child or a spouse. A trusted third party makes the grieving process easier to bear. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers medical powers of attorney as an option for our group legal plan benefit. Continue reading

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stockfresh_7560715_multitasking-woman_sizeS-300x300Employee benefits provide service and an opportunity to learn how to get rid of bad habits. Health insurance teaches an employee to be more concerned about his or her physical condition, and a 401(k) program encourages a person to think about the future and saving for retirement. Countrywide offers a benefits program that ends terrible spending habits that have harmed an employee for years.

Understanding the Origins

A typical spending problem is the overuse of credit cards. Folks will go so far as to do grocery shopping with their plastic, not understanding that the interest charged on the card increases the cost of buying food. Some financial habits are homegrown. Very frugal parents may have raised an employee. Reckless spending becomes a means of rebelling. Other households practice periodic splurges that only cause more money problems. Anyone who starts receiving large paychecks can be tempted to abuse plastic. Continue reading

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stockfresh_7709431_stressful-bristle-man-with-headache-using-laptop-computer_sizeM-300x200We are moving into the Second Quarter, and those New Year’s resolutions are being gradually completed. The objective for the First Quarter might have been paying off those Christmas bills and some other debts. The COVID-10 stimulus checks helped, and now is a great time to address another 2021 goal, which could be putting the domestic finances in order.

The best way to put some structure to the personal cash is to develop a budget. Let’s face it, living from paycheck to paycheck is a recipe for stress. The employee does not have any way of sensibly meeting credit card payments or other incidental expenses if there is no budget in place.

That person may end up relying too much on credit cards. Budget less households are not ready for any emergencies and do not put money aside for the future. A big challenge is that these people have never worked with a budget and need help creating one. Continue reading

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stockfresh_132711_senior-couple-meeting-with-agent_sizeS-300x201Older employees can have a touch of grey, but it does not mean they are not productive and can no longer contribute to the team. They have the experience of the years to balance the enthusiasm of younger employers, and they serve as valuable mentors. They are necessary for the success of any organization.

Good employee benefits help a person be prepared for significant life events. An older employee is concerned about retirement planning. They want to be ready for the day when the desk gets cleaned out and the last goodbyes are made. There are many legal documents the older employee has, and these were created years ago. Are they still valid? That is an important question, and outdated legal papers can lead to some very nasty surprises. Continue reading

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debt-relief-pill-300x255Organizations may be forced to make tough decisions in the coming weeks. Figures from the first quarter can make cost reductions necessary. Employee benefits will be a target for budget cuts. Employers with health benefits will use deductibles and premium increases to control the rising medical costs. Sadly, some organizations might stop providing medical coverage.

Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services is aware that employers might face difficult choices to maintain profitability. Medical insurance is a necessary expense because good employees will leave without it. An organization’s financial wellness will be challenging to maintain without hard-working people. We suggest that if an employer must raise an employee’s share of costs, that organization can introduce a benefit to offset these individual expenses. We have one in mind. Continue reading

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stockfresh_6274907_stressed-woman-with-computer_sizeS-300x191The pandemic changed the office place, and those changes are here to stay. Employees enjoy working from home and are proving to be even more productive due to a change of scenery. People weathered a storm that saw them relying on stimulus checks and personal savings to make it through quarantines. There is now a new normal, and that impacts employee benefits.

Folks want a little bit extra when it comes to services. They might not be able to walk down the hall to the human resources department, but employees still want the feeling of direct contact. They will not be satisfied with information pages on a website or podcasts. When employers are thinking of new benefits, communication is going to be critical. Continue reading

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stockfresh_5252485_young-happy-businesswoman-talking-on-the-phone-and-writing-notes-in-office_sizeS-300x200We are coming out of the pandemic. First Texas, and now other states are dropping mask requirements and schools are re-opening. It is a relief to return to near normalcy, but no one can rest on false hopes. COVID-19 is still here, and there is a chance of a relapse. Vendors of group legal plans must think long term and respond to the changes in the workplace and what precautions and services are expected.

Safety, Always First

Plan members want direct contact with those who will provide pre-paid legal services. Chat rooms are not sufficient. Providers must have safety protocols that provide sanitary conditions and reduce the risk of infection. The use of Zoom technology helps, and a fax machine will get the job done at a safe distance. Any office visit will require social distancing and face masks available for use. Continue reading

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stockfresh_5532754_home-mortgage-concept_sizeS-300x300Renting an apartment is not fun. You are restricted by what the landlord wants, and you can expect to be inspected now and then. The landlord can be so obnoxious that you cannot wait to move on. Buying a house seems to be a good option.

Employees who are doing all right and making good money on the job are motivated to purchase real estate. Spring is a beautiful time to go house shopping, but the purchase is substantial. A house hunter must contemplate a sizable mortgage payment for years to come. The effect on a person’s financial wellness can be enormous. Someone who is not ready will pay for their mistakes for years and even decades. Continue reading

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benefits-300x135A new employee benefit is only as good as its services. Employees appreciate the additional perk, but positive feelings will fade if a plan member must do all the work. It is essential to ask a vendor about the primary benefits and what other services are offered to enhance a plan member’s experience.

 

Countrywide Help

 

Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has been providing a group legal plan benefit since 1987 for all kinds of organizations. Our nationwide network of attorneys will draft a will, advise on working with government agencies, and give consumer protection advice. These services are not delivered in chat rooms. Continue reading

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stockfresh_7102501_college-debt_sizeS-300x300Those in school will be returning from spring break, and those who are graduating are wrapping things up. Everyone is hoping that after all those quarantines, life will return to near normal. COVID-19 caused some changes, but they were expected. The students might be back in the classrooms, and most things will return to the old days. That is terrible news for some about to graduate.

End to the Emergency

College graduates got a break from their student loans this past year. The last stimulus package probably means an end to the loan holiday. Those who have large college debts can expect to receive new interest rates and the payment schedules in a few more weeks. Those papers can be a real problem for the unprepared. Continue reading