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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_5252485_young-happy-businesswoman-talking-on-the-phone-and-writing-notes-in-office_sizeS-300x200The 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

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stockfresh_8381213_senior-couple-smiling_sizeS-300x179They are the old war horses of the organization. Employees who are in their fifties or older, and who have been reliable and productive for years, deserve respect and a little bit more. These veterans of countless staff meetings require some help with legal issues.

Guarding the Estate

Older employees  are not suing people or going before the bench for other reasons. They are having some issues dealing with all the paperwork that comes with advancing age.

Many worry about what they will leave behind. Dying without a will tosses an estate into probate court. Everything will go slower than cold molasses and it may be months or years before everything gets settled. Beneficiaries are forced to wait but drafting a simple will can speed things up. Continue reading

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stockfresh_4170119_what-is-next-black-marker_sizeM-300x200Nothing lasts forever, and that includes hard times. We all have endured quarantines and other sacrifices for over a year. Now we have the vaccines and COVID-19 figures are going down. It is time to plan for the financial future.

Readjusting Almost Everything

The stimulus checks helped, but these economic boosts to the wallet are history. People must now rely on their own resources to pay the bills. Those expenses, by the way, may come as a shock. Eviction prohibitions are going to be lifted and tenants must pay back rent. The school loan holidays are not going to be around, and Congress might not pass debt forgiveness. Everyone is facing a significant adjustment. Continue reading

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o-POWER-OF-ATTORNEY-facebook-300x200Nobody likes to think of it, but devastating accidents can happen. These will come unannounced and wreak havoc on the unprepared. The medical emergency might leave the victim unresponsive.

 

Wishes Ignored

 

It is not true that everyone wants the same medical treatment. Patients who embrace different lifestyles might not want to be given certain medications. Religious backgrounds can persuade someone else that they must follow specific rules for health care. The desires of the patient, unfortunately, might be ignored. Healthcare providers are ethically charged to keep a patient alive. These caregivers will follow standard procedures unless they are told otherwise. Someone who is in a coma cannot communicate treatment requirements. A living will make decisions more straightforward, but not all group legal plans provide them. Countrywide Pre-paid Legal Services writes living wills as a group legal plan service. Continue reading

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stockfresh_1676251_happy-young-family-in-front-of-sold-real-estate-sign_sizeS-300x200Employees appreciate benefits that have obvious value. The assistance an employer gives, which helps with a challenge or improves a person’s well-being, is what employees enjoy. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has one that is more than worth the cost.

House Buying Weather

Spring is a time when real estate agents are frantically busy. Folks have been saving their money and want to spend the cash surplus on a house. It is no surprise many springtime shoppers are first-time buyers. Being a homeowner is a great life goal. Getting a home might be a significant hassle. Continue reading