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Long Term Insurance Fraud: How To Avoid It

September 29th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

We do not live in a perfect world and the risk of fraud exists. It may be a fraud through a company offering you products, or it may be fraud through con artists, but the sad truth is it exists. Long-term care insurance is not exempt from the risk of fraud, and there are those out there who will try and benefit off your misfortune and leave you with nothing. One of the important things you can learn from the mistakes of others is how to avoid being a victim of insurance fraud.

Obviously, the first thing anyone should consider when they are thinking of getting long-term care insurance is research. Researching a company is one of the best ways to prevent long-term insurance fraud. When you look at the record of a company, you will be given a clear indication of how they will treat you and your money.

You should look into the financial rating of a company to determine how legit it is, and how stable it is. Standard & Poor determines the strength of insurance companies, as well as giving detailed financial profiles on thousands of insurance companies. You can also look at Fitch Ratings, which give financial strength ratings for many insurance companies.

When you decide on a long-term care insurance policy, make sure you get the policy when you meet with the insurance broker. Do not fall for the line of ‘It is all in the brochure.’ Usually, it is not. You should be able to get the policy, in writing, when you meet with the broker and before you sign it, make sure you read it very carefully, even if you have to take it home to do so.

When you get a policy, you are asked for a month’s premium up front to process the application. If you choose not to accept the policy or you are declined, you should get your money back in full.

You can also talk to friends of yours to find out what insurance company they go through for their own long-term care insurance policies, if they do. However, do not accept their word because they could be victims of long-term insurance fraud and not even know it yet. Just research the company and if you find out something troubling, let them know. Conclusion Long-term care insurance is one of the best things you can do to make sure you are not a financial burden on your family. However, you do not want to give someone your money and find out later that you were a victim of fraud. Then, with all the money you put in, you come up with nothing and that is a horrible situation to be in. Do your research, ask questions, don’t sign anything without reading it and always make clear what you expect up front. If you do this, you should be okay and be able to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of long-term care insurance fraud. You should just ask for help from an insurance representative who specializes in long term care insurance to answer any questions.

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Terry Stanfield Insurance , , , , , , , , ,

Long Term Care Insurance: What Should I know?

September 28th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

Long term insurance insurance should be part of a plan that leads provides a financially stable and safe future in the event of a long term care crisis. If there are no provisions at hand, you should start looking into long term care insurance to help make your life, and the lives of your family, more secure.

There are many factors to look for when you are getting long-term care insurance coverage, and we will cover the most important in this article. Overall, you want to make sure that the long-term care insurance coverage policy you get is going to cover you for everything you need in case you need long-term care. Factor in your current financial situation, your savings, and more.

1. Make sure that the financial strength of the long-term care insurance coverage carrier has financial strength. This is because most policyholders will not receive the benefits of the coverage plan they are paying into for as much as ten to 30 years, so you need to make sure the company will still be around then.

2. You should find out about the daily benefit of the long-term care insurance coverage plan. It can cost up to as much as $100 to $200 per day for long-term care services, so make sure your plan will cover that.

3. Inflation is a terrible thing, but it is nearly unstoppable, so you should factor it into any long-term care insurance coverage plan you get. A nursing home right now currently costs about $130 per day, while in 14 years that will be $260 per day at a five percent growth rate. Inflation is a very important part of any long-term care coverage plan. Do not forget about it or you could end up with too little money, too late.

4. Making sure you have comprehensive coverage that will cover home care, nursing home care and more.

5. Look at the claims process of the company you are looking at using, including finding out what the claims process is and how many filed claims have been paid.

6. Find out about stable premiums. Long-term care insurance coverage providers can raise premiums, so find out about their rate of increases before you go with them.

Conclusion When you get long-term care insurance, you need to make sure that the insurance is not going to leave you just as worse off because you did not do your research. You should find out about the plans they offer, what their coverage is like, the claims process and factor in for inflation.

Doing this means you will not be left high and dry when it comes time to get your long-term care insurance claim processed. You do not want to have to pay out $200 per day from your savings every month because you only factored in a $75 daily charge for a nursing home. Plan ahead, do your research and get the help of the a long-term care agent that represents many long term care providers, you will not be sorry.

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Terry Stanfield Insurance , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Difference Between LTC Insurance and Long-Term Disability?

September 28th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

There is often a degree of confusion when individuals are dealing with long-term care (LTC) insurance and long-term disability coverage for obvious reasons. The average consumer can be forgiven for confusing the two forms of insurance, but it is important the difference is known to ensure that you do not get something which may not apply to what your long-term needs are.

There is often a degree of confusion when individuals are dealing with long-term care (LTC) insurance and long-term disability coverage for obvious reasons. The average consumer can be forgiven for confusing the two forms of insurance, but it is important the difference is known to ensure that you do not get something which may not apply to what your long-term needs are.

First of all, long-term disability insurance protects your future earnings in the event you suffer a disabling event, such as broken legs, amputation or becoming paralyzed.

It tends to cover a percentage of what you would make normally at your job, in case of illness or injury. Disability insurance is incredibly important when you are working because very few people are prepared for the loss of their wages in the event of a workplace accident.

On average, you can expect the insurance to cover about 60 percent of your wages, but you will often require a doctor declaring that you are not physically, or mentally, able to return to work due to an accident or illness. While you will only receive six months of coverage in short-term disability insurance, on long-term disability insurance policies, you will receive five to ten years of payments, and in some cases, payments to the age of 65.

LTC insurance is not meant to supplement your income in case of accident, but to provide a coverage of your expenses when you are in a nursing home, assisted-living facility or home-care program. Once a doctor has declared you need assistance with daily living activities, you will be able to quality for LTC insurance.

You will have to go through a waiting period for your LTC insurance benefits, which will last between 30 and 180 days. The length of the waiting period will depend greatly on the policy of the insurance company you use. Typically, the longer the waiting period you will have on your LTC insurance, the lower the premium will be. In terms of benefit periods, they will run from two years to the end of your life.

As a result, LTC insurance is there to help you after you are done working and are unable to fully take care of yourself.

Conclusion There is often a lot of confusion between disability insurance and LTC insurance, however the difference is quite clear. Disability insurance is meant to protect your future earnings due to an event that has left you disabled and unable to work. LTC insurance is there to cover your expenses in the event you are unable to care for yourself, either at your home or in a nursing home. Overall, you want to make sure you find out what will be best for you in your current life stage. As a young man or woman, you may go with disability insurance, while if you are 50 or more, you will go for the LTC insurance. Do your research and find out what you are looking for.

You should just ask for help from an insurance representative who specializes in long term care insurance to answer any questions.

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Terry Stanfield Insurance , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Video Marketing Is A Hot Investment

September 26th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

Video marketing is an important factor for any business online. It can help you grow your business and achieve the results you are hoping for in your market. Some of the reasons that you should consider includes showing up on the search engines, better site ranking, saving time, cost effective, and much more.

Any business suffering on the Internet today should take advantage of the benefits of video marketing. Listed below are six reasons why your business should consider video marketing on the Internet.

1. Businesses often fail today because their company doesn’t come up under search engine result pages. A solution to listing on the search engines so you can be found by the customers is video ad marketing.

2. When your online business ranks higher in the search engine results it gives you an advantage over the competition. Taking advantage of using video ad marketing will help you achieve the highest ranking with the search engines as possible.

3. When you manage your search engine marketing it can take hours and hours of work. The best solution to freeing up needed time so you can use it toward more important goals of the company is by investing in video marketing.

4. The higher an online business’s website ranking is on the World Wide Web, the more credible the site is to the consumers. Video marketing can help your business achieve the best ranking possible by driving more traffic to your online website.

5. A video marketing investment is the most cost effective thing you can do for your online business because of the value. Once you see the success factors associated with video marketing you will realize it is money well spent.

6. Many businesses are removed from search engines due to not properly following the guidelines set forth for their online marketing efforts. The right video marketing requires following search engine guidelines with the use of the right tools and resources so you will not be blacklisted.

There are many reasons to consider investing in video marketing if your business needs improvement with the current efforts online. It is money well spent if your business is currently suffering and there should be no hesitation. The primary ways your business will benefit with video marketing includes better value, increase website traffic, search engine listings, saving time, and much more.

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Terry Stanfield Search Engine Marketing , , , , , , , , ,

Beware of Reverse Mortgage Scams

September 24th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

Reverse mortgages are being used by more and more seniors in an effort to get a loan that does not have to paid back until they move or die, giving them the funds they need to pay for their own long-term care, without relying on family or insurance. It is an incredibly popular practice for those over the age of 62, who own a home and don’t want to be a financial burden on their families. In fact, they are the most popular type of loan for Americans over the age of 62.

However, seniors who are in need of some loan cash sometimes fall into the traps of reverse mortgages scams through fake websites and reverse mortgage companies who charge too much. This is a horrible situation for a senior to be in, because they may lose thousands of dollars to the scam artists, turning them into a severe financial burden for them family.

Usually, the scam is perpetrated through telemarketing with the senior being contacted by phone and convinced into giving up their personal information for the ‘loan’. The personal information is then used to steal the senior’s identity, often taking out a loan in their name, but making the senior foot the bill for the interest charges and monthly payments.

In the case where the senior thinks they are dealing with a legitimate company, they may be dealing with a phony reverse mortgage companies. These companies will charge six to ten percent of the entire loan amount just for the senior to get the name of a reverse mortgage lender. This is one of the most common types of scams. You can actually get information on who provides reverse mortgages, free of charge, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As a result, if you are looking for a reverse mortgage, you need to be incredibly careful not to fall into the trap of a reverse mortgage scam. You should always make sure that before you sign anything, even if the agent is urging you to, you do your research into the company to find out if they are a) legitimate and b) financially stable.

It is also an excellent idea to sign the contract in the presence of a lawyer, adviser, or your children. This will help to avoid the tactics that have been laid by the reverse mortgage scam artist. However, if you simply want to avoid becoming a part of reverse mortgage scams, then you should simply not do your reverse mortgage dealings over the internet or phone.

Conclusion Reverse mortgage scams are one of the worst scams perpetrated by scam artists because it prays on the elderly and their desire to be financially secure after they have left the workforce. All reverse mortgage scams do is rob them of their money by forcing them to pay large sums up front, or by stealing personal information. To make sure you do not fall into a reverse mortgage scam, do your research and never, ever sign anything under pressure, or pay money up front without consulting an adviser first.

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Terry Stanfield Insurance , , , , , , , ,

Lower The Cost Of Finding New Clients Using A Telemarketing Firm

September 23rd, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

During a recession, it is important to see where you can make the business more efficient. An outbound prospecting firm can allow you to gain more clients because it can be more efficient and cost effective. This article will explain why a prospecting company can be cheaper in finding new clients.

A prospecting company focus on the activity most people hate. One of the hardest jobs for any salesperson is to do prospecting. Using an outbound prospecting firm can allow your salespeople to focus on current customers and their needs so that business can increase both with current customers and with new customers.

Using a prospecting company can allow you to spend less time on the phone with uninterested customers. You can focus yourself on those activities which help grow your business.

You are able to focus your valuable time prospecting the individuals who are interested in your business. This lowers your cost in finding new clients because you do not have to deal with the tedious process of identifying interested individuals.

One of the first areas of spending any business cuts during a recession is marketing. If you have to cut your marketing spending, you can reallocate dollars to outbound telemarketing and increase your sales at a lower cost to your marketing dollars.

Most people are not interested in telemarketing and put this activity off. This reduces the sales pipeline and increases the costs to find new clients.

Businesses or individuals often are more receptive to ways to save money during a recession. a prospecting company can have greater success due to this cost consciousness during tough econmic times than during an economic boom.

Many outbound prospecting firms have telephone automation systems that normal businesses do not have. This allows them to touch sometimes five to six times as many prospects as your salespeople do.

McGraw-Hill did a study to compare maintaining marketing activities and dollars versus reducing them during a recession. They found that those who maintained and increased this dollar amount enjoyed a 275% increase the first year after a recession and this is a spectacular argument why to spend money on an outbound telemarketing company.

You can use a prospecting company as part of your marketing strategy and allocate your dollars to the most productive activities. If you find that the prospecting company is more effective than advertising, you can reallocate marketing dollars to the prospecting company which lowers your cost per new client. Cost per client is an important measure to see that you can grow new business in an efficient manner. An outbound telemarketing company offers you a way to test if you can lower that cost per client while still increasing sales|business|the bottom line.

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Terry Stanfield Lead Generation , , , , , , , , , ,

6 Questions SEO Websites Should Answer To Keep Visitors Returning

September 21st, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

While it is good to have SEO websites that are optimized for the search engines, the websites also need to be informative in order to procure customers and keep visitors returning to the site. Having a website is the first step in having a successful online business. But if your website consists of a bunch of ads, does not answer questions for visitors and does not provide them with the information that they seek, it is unlikely that visitors will remain or will visit again. Good websites are those that provide valuable information and answer all questions for visitors.

In the competitive world of online marketing, it is not enough to just have an attractive and optimized website. The website has to provide content that is continuously updated to keep visitors returning. There are many things that you can do to make sure that your visitors are satisfied and have all of their questions answered.

One thing that you can do for SEO websites is to create a blog that connects to your site. Blogs are informal and easy to keep updated with regular posts that will answer current questions about the industry and provide necessary information.

Never underestimate the power of article marketing on your websites. Using articles on the website will make informative websites more legitimate and will answer the questions that people who visit the site need to know.

Visitors to your site will most likely have questions that many others have that are commonly asked. You should have a frequently asked questions page on your website to answer the most common questions immediately.

Internet marketing today employs the use of videos on the site as well as on free sites. These videos will answer questions for those who would rather watch and learn and can also be used to bring more visitors to your site.

Having the contact information displayed is a very important part of any website. This enables customers to contact you with any questions that they do not see on the FAQ page and also establishes an element of trust.

The key to your website is to answer the main question to visitors right away which is how your website can fulfill their needs. This should be apparent on the first page of your website.

Informative websites are those that answer all questions that visitors have when entering your site and will keep them returning. Good SEO websites are not just about internet marketing, but about providing visitors with information that they seek online. By providing this information to them in a variety of different ways, you will keep them returning to your site over and over again.

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Terry Stanfield Building Traffic , , , , , , , , , , ,

What to Look For in a Long Term Care Insurance Quote

September 21st, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

A long-term care insurance quote is based upon many factors. You will want know these factors and this article will give you six key points to explain some of those factors. When you receive an ltci quote, it is going to be contingent upon what you want out of the policy regarding benefits levels and where you are in your life age-wise. Using the information in this article will allow you to be a smart consumer.

Looking at long term care insurance quotes, what you want your policy to include and when you receive your policy will cause changes in the quotes you will receive. This article will give you more information about what companies you should look for among other factors.

When you are thinking about long-term care, you need to think about what types of benefits you will want. You can receive in-home service, nursing home care, or community based services to give you an idea.

One factor in the cost of your policy is your age. Getting your policy at a younger age allows the premium to be lower.

You will want to look at different types of companies. Your employer may be able to offer this type of insurance or you may want to look at individual companies.

You can choose different policies with different benefits. Some policies pay a maximum for either a daily, weekly, or monthly amount or others pay up to a certain dollar amount.

You have the option to choose when you are able to start using benefits and this will cause a change in your insurance quote.

Daily benefits can also pay a part in the quote you receive from an insurance agent. If you want higher daily benefits, this will cause your ltci quote to be higher.

This article should have opened your eyes to a greater degree to what to expect when receiving a long term care insurance quote. You want to have as much information out and on the table when talking about this because it is important to know what to expect with your policy.

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Terry Stanfield Insurance , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Six Rules for Giving Presents to New Mothers

August 29th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

Buying gifts for new mothers is very difficult as most people don’t know what the new mother needs – unless you have been a new mother yourself. Buying gifts for mom is hard and buying gifts for a new mother is doubly difficult. Remember, the new mom will probably receive many gifts from many people therefore extra though needs to be given prior to purchasing a gift.

You need to ensure that the gift you give stands out from all the others. It’s important to put yourself in the new mother’s shoes and then start thinking from there. Here are six points – or rules that, if followed, will do just that.

Rule number 1: The gift you give the new mother has to be useful to her. There is no point in giving her a gift that is very expensive but does not make her life easier – remember, she is a new mother so a diamond ring will not fit the occasion.

Rule number 2: The gift will multiply in sentimental value if it’s for the baby. Gifts for mom will certainly be liked but a gift for the baby will be adored.

Rule number 3: If you have purchased a cute little gift for the baby then it would be a good idea if you could also add a special gift for mom as well – just so that she knows you have though of her and her baby both.

Rule number 4: Women do love jewelry and it’s not a bad idea to tie in the mother’s jewelry with the new born. An example could be a locket with the baby’s picture inside.

Rule number 5: A mother’s gift does not necessarily have to be expensive – it could simply be something that would congratulate her into motherhood. The new mother is already delighted to be a mom and all you can do is to cheer her for that.

Rule number 6: Each gift sends a different non-verbal message to the receiver. Use your imagination, ask around and make it special and personal – customize the gift to the receiver as much as possible.

As already mentioned, a gift sends a message to the receiver and sometimes a gift could be so metaphorical that only the receiver and giver would know what that message is. Remember, good gifts for mom (and her child) are not one that makes her go WOW when received – in fact its one that makes her go WOW every day.

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Terry Stanfield Jewelry , , , , , , , , ,

Six Things You Should Know About Buying Jewelry for Mom

August 28th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield

When the time comes to buy jewelry for Mom you will realize jewelry is one of the best gifts you can give your mom. There are numerous reasons why people would want to present their mom’s with gifts. Mother’s day and mom’s birthday are probably two of the most difficult times to choose the right gift for mom, jewelry is something that you mom will always need and wear.

In this article you will find six useful tips for buying the perfect Mother’s jewelry. There are a few things you would need to keep in mind when buying that special gift for Mom. Keeping these tips in mind will help you avoid problems and inconveniences.

1st Tip: A special ring for mom is probably the best jewelry accessory you can buy for your mom. A ring is something that is memorable, and something that your mom will cherish for a lifetime.

2nd Tip: When you decide to buy jewelry for mom you need to remember what your mom really needs. If she has a hand full of rings, then purchasing a ring that she probably will never wear wouldn’t be a good choice.

3rd Tip: Apart from buying Jewelry from a regular jewelry store, jewelry can also be purchased from online stores. The beauty of buying online is you get to see everything the offers, where in a shop it is hard to sort though their inventory to find the right thing.

4th Tip: Mothers love gifts that are memorable. Try to present your mom with a gift that has been personalized, for instance a ring with their name engraved in it. Gold rings make for great gifts since they immortalize your mom’s name in gold.

5th Tip: A gold necklace and a pendant makes for an excellent gifts for your mom, and gifts that are most often overlooked by sons and daughters in their rush to pickup a gift for their mom. For instance a birthstone pendant is something unique and memorable, perfect for your mom’s birthday gift.

6th Tip: Don’t be in a hurry to buy a gift for your mom. Start searching in advance; waiting until the last minute to find a present is often asking for trouble.

Taking the time to find out what your Mom wants and needs will help ensure that she receives the best present. If you buy jewelry for Mom online will help cut down the time required to buy the right jewelry for mom even if you have waited until the last minute. So the next time you go shopping for mother’s day, you will know how and where to start from.

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Terry Stanfield Jewelry , , , , , , , , ,