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People prepare for death in various ways. They will draft simple wills (good idea!), buy burial plots, and take out final expense insurance policies. These are all excellent financial choices and show a person wants to protect survivors from paying significant death expenses. They will concentrate on costs incurred by death itself, but there’s one thing missing in their planning: cost related to the act of dying.

 

Death will come in various forms, but it isn’t always immediate. Heart attacks, brain seizures, and sudden accidents can leave a body just clinging to life. Healthcare providers will maintain a victim on life support unless instructed otherwise. This creates a state of limbo that has severe financial consequences. Continue reading

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College can be a major learning experience after graduation. The grace period for college debt repayment ends six months after the final ceremony and it can be a shock. The monthly payment on six-figure debt can be the sizable mortgage. The financial wellness of a young employee might be in danger.

 

Forced Choices

 

College debt is a significant disruption in anyone’s life. Decisions about buying a house, having children, or getting married are affected. A young graduate has little understanding of finances, and panic is a normal response. Using forbearance or not paying and then filing for bankruptcy creates more substantial problems. The wrong decision will result in credit ratings being destroyed and money problems lasting well into the future.

 

The new employee doesn’t require a handout. Good advice in managing college loan repayment is better than cash. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers a financial wellness plan that can resolve many common financial challenges. Continue reading

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Taxpayers get aggravated with government agencies. These citizens need help and getting support is rarely easy. Rules, procedures, and protocols often get in the way.

 

Sources of Frustration

 

Some common problems will drive people up the wall.

 

*The Paperwork. It often appears the smallest services require the most prolonged application. It takes a while to complete the paperwork, and there still might be problems. Folks sometimes must fill out a second application because there were errors in the first one.

 

*The Wrong Office. A person will take the time to go to a government office and discover it is the wrong place. This means an extra trip must be made and precious time will be spent.

 

*Long Lines. Public agencies are notorious for long waiting periods. It happens too often that an individual waits an hour for 10 minutes of assistance.

 

*The Wrong Information. It is the most frustrating part of dealing with the government. After going to the office, waiting to get served finally, and filling out tedious paperwork, a citizen finds out he or she has the wrong information.

 

There needs to be a way to cut through the red tape and delays. Not all group legal plans will provide help in dealing with government agencies. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has such assistance as a group legal plan benefit. Continue reading

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Legal documents can be stressful. The average employee does not understand the verbiage and is easily frustrated. The greatest danger is to sign a document without understanding the obligations or consequences buried within the paperwork.

Common Problems

Some issues make legal documents a pain in the neck.

*Outdated or Invalid Forms. Landlords who own properties in several states may use an out of state lease, which is invalid. These documents might not include current information required by recent changes in the law. The tenant is thus being held accountable for a paper that has no legal standing. Continue reading

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Medical emergencies are often unexpected. They cause people to spend extended time in a hospital bed and undergo lengthy therapy afterwards. It all adds up to a very sizable bill. People will panic over the size of the invoice, but they should be careful about taking drastic measures that might damage financial wellness. There are several ways to handle that medical bill.

Some Options

  1. Medical Credit Cards

Healthcare providers may have a credit card option, where the patient signs up for medical credit card with the provider. It doesn’t take long for approval and this type of plastic is ordinarily for medical situations. Continue reading

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A significant financial investment is a gamble. It might pay off, but it also could bring negative consequences. The largest purchase an ordinary employee makes is a house. A first-time buyer is justifiably nervous about the impact on his or her financial wellness.

 

What Should I Do?

 

Real estate is an intriguing world with a unique vocabulary. Fixer-upper, distressed sales, rent to buy and FHA loans have definitions most people don’t know. It makes purchasing a house exciting but also a little stressful.

 

Mortgage loans can be sophisticated. Variable interest rates and balloon mortgages might appear sensible, but they triggered the housing collapse of the Great Recession of 2008. Buying property in the wrong location will create domestic problems and buying to flip a house can be a disaster.

Folks will pay dearly for what they do not know. Continue reading

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People like to set goals for the coming year. It is an opportunity to do things that will lead to a better quality of life. A project that should be on the 2020 bucket list is having a simple will drafted.

 

It is a task many will put on the back burner, and that is not a good idea. Death comes knocking when you least expect it. An accident or a heart attack can snatch a person and leave behind family and the estate open to dispute.

 

A Simple Will Prevents Domestic Trouble

 

It is sad to say but an estate can bring out the worst in people. Petty disputes can lead to feuds, which will last for years. Matters will only get worse because the probate court will be directly involved when there is no will. Continue reading

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No one is guaranteed financial wellness. Hard work, planning, and self-discipline are what it takes to have a person’s fiscal house in order. Not fiscally responsible by nature, most folks learn the discipline. It is often by trial and error, but good advice and professional guidance will shorten the learning curve.

Budgets Promote Financial Wellness

The path to real money independence starts with a workable budget. An individual will use this financial tool as a guide for all spending decisions. Essential ingredients of creating a reasonable budget include:

  • Research. Knowing where your money is coming from and what your monthly financial objectives are;
  • Planning. Deciding how your present and future income is spent;
  • Goals and Objectives. Determining what you wish to achieve in creating realistic benchmarks for future earnings and spending;
  • Flexibility. Creating a budget that will respond effectively to any unexpected emergencies;
  • Discipline. Being willing to stick to the guidelines of the budget and having the maturity to focus on the goals.

Continue reading

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A fantastic corporate New Year’s resolution is a new employee benefit everyone can use. It lets the rank and file know that management appreciates their efforts and is concerned about their well-being. Group Legal Plans are an excellent and very useful service that an organization can offer. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has a Group Legal Plan that our clients like.

 

The Services Have High Quality

 

The courtroom dramas are the stuff of television. Most people will never have a day in court, but they still need a lawyer’s services for various reasons. Countrywide has provided pre-paid legal services since 1987. Our benefit options reflect the kind of legal help commonly used.

 

A simple will is a necessary component of sound financial planning. Countrywide attorneys will prepare this document for any Plan member, pointing out the critical clauses and answering all questions. Continue reading

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A warranty is essentially a contract between a consumer and a company. A person buys a warranty with the assumption repair services will be provided if the covered product no longer works. It seems pretty cut and dry, but warranties are not always so straightforward. The devil is in the details.

 

What Do You Know about Warranties?

 

Salespeople will apply some pressure to convince a consumer to purchase a warranty. An individual might buy the contract without considering some important questions.

 

*Do You Know What Is Covered? The warranty will specifically note what is covered. Don’t be surprised if inevitable accidents are not included in the coverage. Parts or labor might only be partially covered or not at all. Continue reading