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People still want to own a house. This is a part of the American Dream and is a symbol of success. Many are nervous about buying a home and no one can blame them. The cost may be a financial wellness challenge.

The Significant Cost

A house is one of the largest, if not the largest, expense an average person will have. The down payment required for a home mortgage can be 5% to 10% and the sum may be in the five figures. The house mortgage will need a financial commitment of up to 30 years and is a monthly expense.

Real estate operates in an environment all its own. There are activities most people do not understand and the means to control costs are confusing. Few people want to risk their financial wellness and therefore delay buying a property. That can be a mistake in some markets where prices are going up. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services appreciates the problem home-buyers face. We have a Financial Wellness benefit that can help. Continue reading

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Employees are concerned about Artificial Intelligence (AI). They understand automation will be a part of the future workplace, but they worry about how it will affect their jobs. Anything that uses AI might add to the employment anxiety and group legal plans must be careful not to overuse automation.

AI makes things efficient at the cost of human interactions. A group legal plan should remember that pre-paid legal services are personal. Each plan member has a unique situation requiring attention. That same person might not understand the language of a legal document or what a public agency needs. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services knows the importance of the human touch. We encourage interaction.

Conferences Are Necessary

Countrywide has a nationwide network of attorneys who provide the services. They are not distant voices but local people who practice law in a client organizations’ community. Countrywide group legal plan members have a priority status and arranging a meeting is easy. Continue reading

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Legal documents are frustrating. There appears to be a need to report almost everything in a person’s life. Information is needed for many things in the document process to help people get what they need. However, it all seems to be a mountain of mysterious pages. Group legal plans must be able to help people with all the documents.

Those Documents Can Protect a Family

Drafting simple wills is a pre-paid legal services option the average group legal plan provides. The same is true for living wills. Family beneficiaries can easily get their portion of an estate if a simple will has been filed. A living will takes the burden of decision-making off the shoulders of a loved one and the same is true about medical powers of attorney. These legal documents allow a group legal plan member to prevent their death from becoming emotional theater.

Understanding the Words Help

Consumers will purchase warranties on appliances, automobile parts, and computer equipment. These contracts will make repair work less expensive. The language can be confusing, and an individual might need someone to interpret the sentences. Continue reading

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Too many college graduates are facing the real world with a major burden pressing them down. The cost of college has soared over the years, forcing many young people to take out sizable loans to pay for the education. There comes a reckoning after graduation. The young person is confronted with a mortgage-sized obligation.

That will affect financial wellness. The monthly payment can be hundreds of dollars; money some people do not have. Not quite knowing what to do, a recent graduate will make some poor decisions such as forbearance or filing for bankruptcy. These choices are brought on by panic and can be avoided. There is a way to manage the college loan debt, but it takes knowing what precisely to do. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers professional assistance in handling the loan monster.

Financial Wellness Does Not Have to Be in Danger

There certainly are options available to anyone facing college loan payments. There are payment plans that are income based and allow the debtor to reasonably afford repaying the loan. It is possible to get a reduction in interest rates through an auto-debit plan. There is even the ability to get loan forgiveness depending on the circumstances. Continue reading

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Group legal plans proactively market their pre-paid legal services. Consumer protection advice and help with government agencies are services consumers want. The same is true for identity theft protection and credit monitoring. It is essential for any vendor to remember that the quality of service is as important as the benefit itself.

Good Service Is Personal

Vendors will use automation to cut costs. The price quoted to a prospective client is low, but you get what you pay for. Waiting 30 minutes or more for a call center associate is poor service. Q and A pages do not always resolve problems.

Legal issues are sources of high anxiety. Warranty problems are not easy to understand, and legal documents are confusing. A group legal plan member expects more for the premium dollars paid. That individual wants the plan to go one step further to find solutions to unexpected issues or legal emergencies. Continue reading

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American consumers thrive on plastic. Credit cards are preferred over cash despite the double-digit interest rate those cards will charge. There isn’t a problem if a person pays attention to the balances. Financial wellness will suffer if an individual ignores the credit debt creeping skyward.

Trouble Has Many Sources

It is not fair to say a card user is an impulsive shopper with no fiscal awareness. Sometimes a major expense, such as auto repair, happens. The debt balance rises accordingly, and spending habits are not adjusted. People will also grow accustomed to paying for common items, such as groceries, with Visa or MasterCard.

A person who loses control of his or her credit card can feel overwhelmed and anxious about finances. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services is aware of customer anxiety and wants to help. We have a Financial Wellness Plan employees may use to their advantage. Continue reading

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Everyone is relieved the tax season is over. The Internal Revenue Service got its fair share and we are done with the 1040 tax form for this year. However, this does not mean everybody is finished with tax paperwork.

Property taxes can be a quarterly, bi-annual, or annual event. It all depends on the jurisdiction or the property. People may dispute the property taxes assessed. There are procedures for appealing the tax amount. Not everyone understands the appeals process and how important certain information is for a successful appeal. Their case is consequently rejected because of this ignorance. There are also other matters that deal with public agencies. Parents may need special services for a disabled child or an elderly parent. Foreign born employees are not always familiar with the process and cannot get needed assistance. Group legal plans should offer help with public agencies. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services provides such assistance to our plan members.

Assistance with Public Agencies

Government entities have regulations and guidelines which direct activity. Public employees must follow these procedures and Countrywide knows this. Our nationwide network of attorneys is familiar with the rules because the lawyers interact with public agencies. Continue reading

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Medical costs are rising with no chance of them dropping in the future. Management is trying to slow the process of inflation with various forms of cost-containment. Medical cost cuts into profits but decision makers must be aware of how healthcare bills affect the rank-and-file. An employee’s financial wellness can be at risk.

Deductibles Don’t Contain Personal Cost

The standard health plan deductible is now $5000 or more. Anyone who has surgery or physical therapy may face a substantial bill for treatment. A lack of understanding can result in poor decisions on how to manage the payments. Failure to pay will cause collection agencies to call and threaten consequences.

Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services understands the challenge employers face with medical costs. Higher deductibles are better than cutting services and there is little chance of a reduction in deductibles. We suggest an organization consider a financial wellness plan to help employees better deal with deductible expense. We offer a plan which includes assistance with medical bills. Continue reading

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Group legal plans will aggressively market their pre-paid legal services. These companies will make a point of telling what they will do for a client’s workforce. We have no problem with anyone promoting what they can do. Nevertheless, we maintain the right formula for any group legal plan is S + E = Q (Service + Empathy = Quality). Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services adheres to that formula.

Helping All Plan Members

Countrywide wants to help plan members with common everyday legal challenges. The problems vary from person to person. One may need help writing a simple will while another wants advice on how to file a consumer protection complaint. The Countrywide group legal plan exists to assist.

We do not rely on webpages to provide service. All our pre-paid legal services are provided by seasoned attorneys. Lawyers are part of a nationwide network. We have legal professionals practicing in a client’s community. Countrywide encourages rapport between the plan member and the lawyer. The relationship is cultivated in several ways. Continue reading

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Young employees arrive with enthusiasm and technical expertise. They want to hit the ground running and contribute to an organization’s success. Employers like this and an organization will benefit if the new employees can focus on their projects. It is hard to do that if a person’s financial wellness is in trouble.

The Education Cost

College expense is a fright. Tuition for four years can be in the six figures and loans are required to pay the education bill. Young graduates don’t worry about payments until the grace period is over. Reality then hits like a tidal wave. Monthly payments might be as high as a home mortgage. This is in addition to rent, auto loans, and other expenses a new graduate must manage.

Young employees often lack good financial skills. Such knowledge is not offered in school curriculums and a graduate struggles in a sea of confusion. He or she makes some serious mistakes because of ignorance. Forbearance is a common way of avoiding debt, but the figures only grow and will not go away. Continue reading