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The judicial system moves slowly, and probate court is perhaps the most cautious. Probate takes its time because the court concerns itself with the legitimate rights of survivorship. The most commonly used pre-paid legal services benefit of group legal plans is drafting simple wills. This is something all plan members should use.

The Real Benefit of Simple Wills

Probate moves faster when the deceased has left behind a simple will. An executor will supervise the administration of the estate. There is no need for a court-appointed administrator. Probate will be there to adjudicate the final disbursements, but its role in daily estate administration is diminished. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has simple will writing as a group legal plan benefit.

Let the Attorney Do the Work

There are templates a person may use to write a will. However, these do not always capture the nuances of a person’s wishes. Learning what an individual wants to be included in the will requires questions to be asked and answered. Countrywide has a net of experienced lawyers who provide Countrywide services. They know how to write wills and what questions a person should answer in drafting a solid will. Continue reading

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Buying a home is exciting and when an employee finally is making enough money that person can take the great step forward. The first-time home buyer may be a little anxious. After all, this is the most expensive purchase most people will make in their lifetime. No one wants to make a mistake which jeopardizes financial wellness.

The World of Real Estate

The real estate industry is an open market. You can buy the house you can afford or take a risk on one that is more expensive. You have the choice. The downside is purchasing real estate can be complicated.

There are terms used only in the property arena and conditions that only arise in real estate. Financing a house purchase can be confusing. Not everyone knows about points, FHA requirements, or payment schedules. Some prior education is helpful. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has a financial wellness benefit that offers sound house buying advice. Continue reading

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American consumers have a right to good service and top quality. Whatever is purchased should be as it is advertised and offered to the buying public. That doesn’t always happen. Products or services are sometimes less than expected and warranties are not honored. Group legal plans ought to have a benefit that covers consumer protection and warranties. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers that option in its group legal plan benefit.

Consumer Protection Goes Beyond a Product

Faulty appliances and cheap quality computers are what most people think about when it comes to consumer protection, but there is more. Consumer protection covers services as well. Improper installation of solar panels or a driveway that isn’t properly paved are topics of a consumer protection complaint. Warranties that deal primarily with repair service and deliver poor or incomplete work are not acceptable.

Consumers can file complaints but there is a reluctance to do this. People don’t want to complete all the paperwork required. When they do, they might forget about collecting needed evidence and this results in an incomplete complaint. Continue reading

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Medical bills can unnerve even the most patient person. The cost of surgery or even simple procedures can be in the thousands of dollars. The size of a medical bill can cause people to make decisions that will impact financial wellness. The choices a frantic person makes can be devastating.

Decisions Made in Haste

Some people think that they can ignore the medical bill and pay it sometime in the future. It is an open invitation to have collection agencies make their obnoxious phone calls, and credit ratings can drop significantly for anyone who neglects to pay the medical bill. The second worst decision is to use a credit card. Doing that can add thousands of dollars to be paid off with double digit interest rates and using a credit card may not be necessary. Anyone who is looking at a sizable medical bill needs some good advice and guidance. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services can offer the kind of assistance a person can use. Continue reading

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Financial wellness is an honest concern in many households. Our overuse of credit cards will increase personal debt and double-digit interest rates add to the bill. Sudden medical emergencies and the monthly payment of college loans will eat up a paycheck. Being nervous about financial wellness appears to be the modern way of life. It doesn’t need to be that way at all. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services is here to give needed help.

It Starts with a Budget

Recent college graduates and Millennials are very tech smart; there is no question about that. But being digitally bright does not mean having any understanding of finances

Young employees spent college years worrying about grades. A personal budget was something to worry about after graduation. These new employees are now in the real world and having trouble juggling finances. Continue reading

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Organizations should pay close attention to living wills and powers of attorney. These are standard pre-paid legal services offered by group legal plans and both documents are important to any employer. Each can influence the claims experience of the group health plan.

The Basic Details

Living wills center on catastrophic and major medical care. An employee might be rendered unconscious. The victim’s wishes for medical care such as whether to use life support might not be not known. A living will spells out what is to be done in the event a person is unable to communicate. Medical powers of attorney assign decision-making responsibility. The person holding the authority will make decisions based on the victim’s express wishes and make final decisions about life support systems.

The Importance

Healthcare providers may not arbitrarily turn off life support or end treatment. A victim of a massive cardiac seizure might be on life support for months before dying. The claims experience continues to increase as the insurance policies are billed by the care providers and the employees group healthcare plan must absorb sizable costs. Continue reading

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The cost of education is steep. The room and board, tuition, and books are so expensive that even public universities are barely affordable. Student loan debt can be a substantial threat to any young employee’s financial wellness. These hard-working people need help.

Major Decisions Are Affected

Reality hits a person’s budget within six months of graduation. A freshly minted graduate confronts a bill that sharply cuts into his or her income. The monthly payments are in addition to existing rent, utilities, and credit card obligations. New graduates may not be familiar with budgeting and make poor decisions on cash allocations. Plans for buying a house, getting married, or starting a family may be delayed because of paying college loans.

Employers need to be concerned. The new graduates have the technical and social media expertise an organization needs. However, these young people might start looking for other jobs if their financial wellness is threatened. No organization can have a revolving door employment problem and still stay competitive. It is good business sense for an employer to offer some help. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services can provide required assistance. Continue reading

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Group legal plans will obviously promote their pre-paid legal services to prospective clients. The ability to write wills or review legal documents are stressed but that is insufficient. There are member services to consider as Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services well knows. Communication is important

Relationships Are Essential

Amazon’s Alexa appears to be the latest trend in customer service. Help chat rooms also are frequently used. These will not cover all the bases in a group legal plan. Plan members want a relationship with the service provider.

It can be brief but having a face identified with the voice means a lot. A person wants a face-to-face meeting with an attorney to discuss consumer protection among other matters. Drafting a living will and medical powers of attorney are emotional issues. It helps to deal directly with an attorney who has excellent people skills. Continue reading

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Group legal plans will advertise their ability to write wills. It is an excellent idea to have one and a last will should be on everyone’s bucket list. It isn’t. Too many people put off one until later. They believe they are too young to need one. It is a mistake to think that way and survivors pay for the error.

Time and Trouble

An excuse for not drafting a will might be state law. More states are eliminating estate taxes (by the way, you still need to report estate information to determine if you must pay other taxes). It’s only an excuse and not a real justification for ignoring something very important.

The will directs how an estate is to be managed and how assets are dispersed. No will means the probate court gets involved. It results in every estate decision requiring court approval. Delays are expensive. Survivors with large bills or college tuitions must wait months or even years for the final disbursement. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services knows how frustrating all of this is for family survivors. We provide a will writing option as a group legal plan benefit. Continue reading

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Young employees want to buy a house. Being able to have a home in which to raise a family is something they all want, and it is a dream they wish to see come true. Many are concerned, however, that they may not be able ever to own a house. An organization that helps its employees in purchasing a house will gain the respect and loyalty of those hard workers.

Finding the Resources

The purchase of a house is the largest financial investment most people are going to make in their careers. It is understandable that an employee might worry about financial wellness, knowing that a mortgage can be hundreds of thousands of dollars and the commitment is for decades. The anxiety can make anyone hesitate. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has been helping organizations provide superior benefits to employees for over 30 years. We have a benefit plan that can help anyone realize the dream.

We provide financial wellness services through a nationwide network of certified counselors. These are professionals who understand how a person should get ready for buying a house. Finding the resources to afford a mortgage is not as difficult as it appears. A Countrywide counselor will do a budget analysis to determine how a plan member can pay for the mortgage. This may include readjusting existing payments so that enough cash is made available. The counselor can also do an asset inventory. The inventory uncovers what holdings can be easily sold to allow a reasonable down payment. Continue reading