Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook is prepared to testify to Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday in what has become the worst privacy crisis on Facebook since its birth. In the prepared testimony, there are many recounts of what Facebook has done in the past to improve overall security since the data leak occurred with Cambridge Analytica. In this leak, some 87 million users had their information taken without their consent and little is known about what Cambridge Analytica did with the data or whether or not it even still has this information. Zuckerberg has stated “it was my mistake, and I’m sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here” according to a copy of the prepared testimony. Zuckerberg also added, “My top priority has always been our social mission of connecting people, building community and bringing the world closer together. Advertisers and developers will never take priority over that as long as I am running Facebook.” Ever since the 2016 election, Facebook has been struggling to combat fake news and fake accounts and lawmakers were unsatisfied with Facebook’s response to Russian interference during that time. Zuckerberg announced in a Facebook post on Read more…
April 2018
Risk Tolerance Psychonomics
The Red Zone for Baby Boomers. The decade of danger lies in the five years before and after your retirement date. Market corrections, bear markets, Black Swan events and sideways markets can side line your retirement dreams and turn them into a nightmare. So it’s important to have a retirement game plan and an audible or two in your back pocket to back up your plan in case life hands you a setback. The world has changed. Globalization has made the planet smaller. Everything is correlated, so it’s hard to escape the gravity of the global impact of international markets on investments and even savings instruments. Baby boomers have already been through the grueling bear market of 1973-1974. Then came Black Monday, October of 1987 when the market shed 22% of it’s value in a single day! And again in 2001-2003 the market endured double digit-compounded losses due to the siren song of the emerging tech industry. Many a young boomer loaded up on tech stocks driven by the fear of missing out on the tech revolution. But nothing could prepare the baby boomers for the greatest economic upheaval in their generation, the devaluing of home real estate and the Read more…
Retirement Plans Require Adjustments
It’s really shocking to see baby boomers that have lived their entire life without a budget. So it’s sometimes difficult to convince them to start now in retirement. But income in retirement isn’t the same as income during your working years. The average reduction in income is 20 to 30% less in retirement. But this generation of boomers hasn’t retired their mortgages, complicating the reduction in income. And adding to these woes is the neglect of an eldercare provision in their later years by means of a long-term care policy for assisted home living or nursing home care. You have to have a plan. It’s not optional. And if you have a plan you can’t ‘set it and forget it’. The first step in retirement is to set up an emergency fund. Almost all retirees know to go to the emergency room for urgent care. But where do you go for emergency money in retirement? You’re probably familiar with the value of having savings that could cover six months or so of expenses in an emergency. But the role of an emergency fund takes on a different dimension in retirement. When you tapped your emergency fund while you were working, Read more…
Augusta Medical Facilities Rely On BiTech Medical For Quality Medical Devices
Augusta medical facilities that are looking to replace their medical devices to stay up to date with current technological trends and to provide better care for their patients can rely on BiTech Medical for medical device sales and repairs in Augusta. When your facility needs new equipment, call BiTech Medical. Not only do we strive to offer you the best medical equipment in Augusta for your facility, but we strive to keep our prices competitive and affordable. BiTech Medical believes in doing everything we can to keep your costs down. Many companies operate the other way, seeing what they can do to increase your costs. We understand that you work hard to provide your patients with exceptional healthcare, and we want to provide you with the right equipment and provide quality repairs so you can do just that. BiTech Medical offers service calls for the existing equipment that you do have. We want to make sure that your equipment is operating as intended so you can continue to provide the best care for your patients. When your equipment is functioning properly, it makes providing the best care easier. Rely on our medical technicians for the repairs you need for your equipment. Contact BiTech Read more…
- April, 27
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- Health & Wellness
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Vetting Your Insurance Agent
Once a consumer knows the basic types of Voluntary Benefit polices that are available, and what to look for in an insurance company, they still may have many questions. A good insurance agent can help them clarify the best options for them. There are several factors you should consider when choosing an agent. Longevity – How long has the agent been in business? Many insurance companies are recruiting machines. There is a chance your agent was working in a retail job last month. We all have to start somewhere. By definition, no one has insurance experience the day they start. If they are new, is there an experienced agent with them? Professionalism – You definitely want to work with a true professional. Does your agent have solid knowledge of the entire health insurance marketplace, not just Voluntary Benefits? Are they involved in the community they serve? Service – It is important to understand how committed your agent is to superior service. Will they give you their cellphone number? What is their promise for response time? Diversity – Are they able to represent more than one insurance company? If they only represent one company, they can’t show you different options from Read more…
Checking Out Insurance Companies
There are a multitude of Voluntary Benefits insurance companies in the marketplace and more entering all the time. So how do you know which company to choose to protect your family? The following items can be used as a guideline. Claims payment – Let’s face it, most consumers feel the most important thing to consider regarding any insurance company is how hard is it to file a claim and how quickly will it be paid. It is also critical that the claim be paid fairly. Many consumers also want their insurance agent to help them navigate through the claims process. In today’s age there is no reason to not do your research. But remember every insurance company in the world has someone that is upset with them. Are the reviews more positive than negative? Rate stability – Most Voluntary Benefits insurance companies reserve the right to change their rates based on many factors, but they can’t single you out. They have to raise the rates for everyone who has the same policy that you do. A little research should reveal how often this happens. Brand name – Surprisingly this is not a major factor. Do you care if you blow Read more…
Post Your Vacation Rentals On Findit And Pay No Listing Fees Or Hosting Fees
Vacation rental property owners nationwide are having to deal with paying hundreds of dollars to list their vacation rental. Not only is the charge up front per listing, but in many cases, you may pay a percentage in fees when the listing is booked or the vacation renters will pay a booking fee to book your vacation rental. Findit offers a free vacation rental listing service that lets you list as many vacation rentals as you want and there are no listing or hosting fees to the property owner and no booking fees to the vacation renter. Many people may think they only have one or two options when it comes to listing their vacation rental online. However, with Findit’s free vacation rental listing service you can get your vacation rental or retanls in front of more people without having to pay money to do so. Within your Findit vacation rental listing, you can include a description of the property, the physical address of the property, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, house rules, check in and check out times, as well as amenities that are offered such as: whether or not a pool is on site, if towels are Read more…
- April, 27
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- Real Estate
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What to Look for in a Voluntary Benefit Policy
Not all Voluntary Benefits policies are created equal. As consumers are becoming more aware of the need for Voluntary Benefit protection, they are often overwhelmed by the myriad of insurance policies they have to choose from. Regardless of insurance company, the following features are critical in evaluating whether or not to purchase a policy: Guaranteed Renewable – An incredibly important consideration is whether or not the policy is guaranteed renewable. If it is, the insurance company can’t raise your rates or drop your coverage just because you are making claims. This is unlike auto insurance where the insurance company will do just that. Most Voluntary Benefits insurance companies reserve the right to raise rates, but they must treat every customer that owns that policy equally. Underwriting – A majority of Voluntary Benefit policies require just a few questions to determine eligibility. Very rarely do they ask for medical records or blood work. In fact, under certain circumstances the policy may be “guaranteed issue.” In other words, regardless of medical condition, you can’t be turned down. Portability – Most (not all) Voluntary Benefits programs are purchased through a payroll deduction. It is important to know when you leave employment that you have the Read more…
The Basic Types of Voluntary Benefits
Once you are ready to sit down with a Voluntary Benefits agent you need to understand the types of policies that may be available and how they might fit your needs. Disability – This is the easiest Voluntary Benefits policy for most people to understand. Disability pays the policyholder if they are unable to work due to an accident or illness. Most financial planners recommend that their clients protect their most important asset; their ability to earn an income. Accident – The most popular Voluntary Benefits policy for many insurance companies is their accident plan. These programs usually cover everything from cuts that need stitches to major accidents needing an air ambulance, and everything in between. The benefits are tied directly to the seriousness of the accident. Critical Illness – These policies are very customizable based upon the client’s needs. The customer can purchase a policy that covers just one type of critical illness such as cancer. There are also critical illness policies that cover multiple serious issues such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, paralysis and other conditions. Life Insurance – LIMRA, which is a worldwide research organization that for 102 years has kept a pulse on the Life Insurance market, published a Read more…
The True Need for Voluntary Benefits
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and pressure on private health insurance plans has driven unprecedented change in the health care industry. Deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance are skyrocketing almost as fast as the rates are. Many parts of the country have seen an increase of 50% or more for major medical premiums. A 2015 Harvard study found that the leading cause for bankruptcies (just over 60%) was due to medical expenses. The surprising finding of this study was a majority of the people that claimed medical bankruptcy had medical insurance. The reality is that most families don’t have the savings necessary to withstand the financial chaos that can accompany serious medical conditions. Often there is a double loss of income as a healthy spouse stays at home to care for the injured or ill spouse. When children are involved, the family comes to a standstill, but the rent, electric bill and car payments keep coming. The financial strain can also lead to emotional damage. This is why many insurance agents talk about the triple threat of serious health conditions. The disease damages the body, the finances, and the emotions. A good insurance policy can’t fix all of the emotional damage, but Read more…