by

stockfresh_5532754_home-mortgage-concept_sizeS-300x300

Many first-time home-buyers are frightened about buying a house. The cost is enormous, and the obligation will last for years. People are going to make some mistakes when it comes to financing and these errors can be expensive in money and time. Several common slip-ups include the following.

  1. Being Unprepared for Post Purchase Expenses

These bills happen after a person has taken possession of the house. That new home may need repair work on the roof, new electrical wiring might be required, and ordinary appliances such as a new refrigerator or dishwasher are necessary. New owners don’t ordinarily plan for such expenses and are faced with bills they did not initially expect. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_225020_eraser-and-word-debt_sizeS-300x200

Personal finances can be a significant source of stress and worry. It is not always easy to balance the books and people are often required to live from paycheck to paycheck. Any sudden emergency can upset matters and lead to private chaos. Too many bills and money concerns can disrupt financial wellness.

Some Sense of Order

People will try to bring order to their financial house, but they are not always successful. Inexperience can create problems. Recent college graduates may have no experience with budgeting. Someone who is recently promoted or gets a pay raise may not understand how to allocate the extra cash efficiently. The resulting confusion can range from minor headaches to a real crisis. No one wants either. Receiving good financial advice helps a person chart a sensible course.

Countrywide Uses Financial Professionals

Financial wellness consists of paying bills properly, managing emergencies effectively, and planning for future costs or investments. No employer should expect all employees to be money experts. Professional guidance is an appreciated benefit. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has a Financial Wellness Plan that gives the best cash counseling. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_2753643_medical-and-gavel_sizeS-300x300

The advances in modern medicine are nearly miraculous. People who were once considered terminal cases now have a fighting chance to recover, survive, and thrive. Consumers are becoming aware of new therapies and treatments and they are also more cost-conscious. They want second opinions and will decide what they would like to have as their treatment. That freedom of choice is excellent, but it does not mean anything if the patient is unresponsive.

Following the Protocols

Healthcare providers will follow standard protocols of treatment if they have no other instructions from the patient. These procedures might not be what the patient wants. The treatments could also be costly. Nevertheless, without the patient’s instructions, the protocols will be followed. It would be beneficial if group legal plans provided living wills and medical powers of attorney benefits. The documents offer these valuable benefits:

  1. The living will specifies what medical procedures will be used if the patient is not responsive;
  2. Medical powers of attorney authorize a trusted person to make decisions for an unresponsive patient. That person knows what the patient wants and instructs the healthcare providers accordingly.

Continue reading

by

stockfresh_3091602_good-service-makes-the-difference-chalk-illustration_sizeS-300x168

The law is a significant influence in everyone’s daily life; it is more than obeying traffic rules. There are leases, contracts, agreements, licenses, and other documents to regulate our activity.

Group Legal Plans will help make sense of things. Pre-paid legal services will assist with drafting wills, reviewing legal documents, and offering consumer protection advice, among other matters. These are excellent benefits that are made better with quality service. Good communication is essential.

Being Personal and Approachable

Business literature will buzz with articles about artificial intelligence and robotics. It’s right that machines will play a major role, but there will still be a need for emotional intelligence in service-related industries. The law is a service and it can get confusing. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_1103689_college-tuition-expenses_sizeS-300x200

The academic year is now in full swing. Students are filling up the classrooms in colleges and universities and they are acquiring the knowledge they need for their future careers. They’re also acquiring debt which will affect career decisions.

 

College Debt Harms Financial Wellness

 

Tuition and living expenses are burdens to a college student, and graduates must bear the brunt of the weight. The final cost of a four-year college degree can be close to six figures and a graduate degree adds to the bill. A person might be committed to paying the loan balances for decades.

 

The application can influence career decisions. Employers will notice highly talented staff leaving for other jobs after only a few months. College debt payments can force a person to change jobs, not for career enrichment, but to make more money to pay the loan balances. It is in the best interest of organizations to help an employee manage those education bills. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has a Financial Wellness Plan that provides needed assistance. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_709412_problems-and-solutions_sizeS-300x272

Enormous debt balances may come on gradually. People get used to paying for everything, including groceries, with credit cards. It doesn’t take long for the purchases and the double-digit interest charged to create a sizable balance of credit card debt. An emergency medical bill could do the same damage. Financial wellness is placed in danger as the total amount owed goes to five or even six figures.

Anxiety Leads to Panic

Owing large amounts of money creates anxiety and then panic as the figures grow. The person wants to be fiscally responsible but gets overwhelmed by the monthly payments. Mistakes such as forgetting a payment or not paying anything destroys credit and leads to wage garnishments. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services wants to help folks get out of financial quicksand. Our Financial Wellness Plan will assist a person in ending a terrible nightmare.

Handling a Financial Wellness Crisis

Anyone in financial distress needs special attention. Countrywide provides services that address the issue of staggering debt. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_2662466_last-will-and-testament-concept-of-estate-planning_sizeS_124228-300x196

Group Legal Plans encourage members to use the simple will drafting benefit. It isn’t too complicated and a simple will determines how an estate is distributed. It prevents a lot of probate court hassles and there is something else even more important. This pre-paid legal services option can prevent a major family feud.

Estates Can Be Messy

A death in the family will bring loved ones together in a spirit of mutual grieving and sympathy. The estate left behind can pull that same family apart and create domestic chaos. Relatives can grumble about what is specified in a will but that is all they can do. However, in an estate without a will a family can quickly become involved in a vicious battle.

The probate court becomes intimately involved. An administrator is appointed by the bench and reports directly to the court. There is no executor to keep things running smoothly. Family disputes over who gets what can create hard feelings that take years to reconcile. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services is a Group Legal Plan vendor that has drafting simple wills as an option. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_8413825_closeup-of-question-mark-and-calculator-on-wood_sizeS-300x200

People will make bad decisions and financial wellness suffers. They decide to use forbearance to manage a college loan or pay a medical bill before the health insurer has paid its share. It is unfair to say those with debt are frivolous spenders. However, it is safe to assume they don’t know what to do. Access to the right information is important.

So Many Options

Unreliable sources of information and online “experts” will give ideas that may not be good. Trouble arises when an individual is financially illiterate. His or her choices can be the result of believing the wrong money guru or a poorly written financial blog. No relationship develops. The online advisor addresses a general audience and rarely works with an individual. It is easy to make financial mistakes when there is a lot of information and no one to help sort the good from the bad. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_1669872_help-person-wrapped-in-red-tape-needs-rescue_sizeS_57a0b8-245x300

Government does not dominate our lives, but it influences our decisions. Ordinary people rely on government services at local, state, and federal levels. Public bureaucracies do not have a great sense of urgency: things are done methodically and deliberately. The slow pace drives people crazy. The best group legal plans assist with public agencies as a pre-paid legal services benefit.

Walking through a Public Labyrinth

A government agency for most people is nothing but cubicles and doors. It’s hard to find the right public employee and time is wasted in the search. Certain public services have specific application deadlines. Those who are a day late may need to start over again. This is frustrating when major activities such as property tax appeals are delayed. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services knows how important speed is in obtaining required services. We help with public agencies as a Group Legal Plan benefit.

Proactive Countrywide Services

We have a nationwide network of lawyers who will provide help. These professionals practice law in a client’s community and are readily available for a personal conference. Continue reading

by

stockfresh_4971788_student-loan-debt-installment-payment-check-money-paid-back_sizeS-300x300

The start of the new school year reminds many recent college graduates of an obligation they must meet. They financed their education through a series of loans that met the cost of tuition and other expenses, but that left them in a mess. The financial wellness of many is under a burden of payments which can last for decades.

An Educational Experience That Is Stressful

College is the first time many young people are away from home. Regrettably, it is also the first time these people confront a major, life-changing, debt. The FAFSA forms were tough enough to complete. Loan papers that were signed and perhaps cosigned by parents committed the students to a payment plan that would start in a few years.

You can’t blame a person for taking out a student loan. It is the only way to pay for the required college education for many. Not all the students understood what was required of them in the loan applications. As graduates, with the six-month grace time now over, they need to find ways to stretch their budget. Continue reading