We want to think that everyone is honest and ethical. It is sad, but that is not always the case. Some are quite willing to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers.
Warranties might not be honored and purchased products can have serious flaws. Landlords might be using outdated rental leases or even documents that are not valid (e.g., using a New Jersey rental lease for an apartment in New York). It is not always surprising that unscrupulous people get away with these frauds. Continue reading
There is a rite of passage for many young employees: getting off their parent’s health plan. Those young people now have employer-based health coverage and taking responsibility for personal well-being is a significant step forward into the adult world. It can also be a headache.
Welcome to the EOB
The Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is the medical world’s version of sticker shock. This document gives a detailed explanation of medical expenses for a given treatment. THIS IS NOT A BILL (Every EOB contains that phrase). The EOB, however, is a surprise for anyone who never received one before. Continue reading
People get a bit nervous about the subject of a last will and testament. It centers on death and no one has control over when that will happen. However, everyone does have the opportunity to make choices when a simple will has been drafted. You get to decide who gets what from your estate.
Drafting a simple will drafting a simple is a pre-paid legal services benefit group legal plans will provide. An obvious benefit is the ability to name beneficiaries. But there is more a person can do with a simple will.
COVID-19 is a fantastic teacher. Management has learned so much from the pandemic experience and discovered ways to make employees more productive. One discovery is that remote working does improve the figures. People enjoy working from home and there have been performance increases. Nevertheless, there are some challenges regarding remote working that need attention.
One Is the Loneliest Number
It is the title of the hit song from the 60s and it is relevant today in the world of remote working. Employees must adjust to technology and how to manage their time. Management helps, but more needs to be done for someone who is working alone. Continue reading
We have been fortunate with the stimulus checks, but we have undoubtedly seen the last of them. Many used the money to pay down credit card debt, but there are still people in credit trouble thanks to the pandemic.
Coping with Costs
Consumers got used to delivery service during the quarantines. Instead of going to the supermarket for groceries, the supermarket came to the consumer. Delivery cars and trucks became frequent visitors. People used credit, not cash, to pay for the services. They are now in the habit of shopping on the Internet and paying for the delivery with plastic.
College debt holidays are going away soon. These bills must be paid, and personal budgets must be re-calculated to pay the cost. Financial wellness can be taking a beating. Continue reading
Identity theft is a fact of life in our society. Firewalls have been breached and security systems compromised in all industries, especially finance and retail. Periodically changing passwords and upgrading the security helps, but cyber theft continues. The pandemic has added a new wrinkle to the emergency.
More employees are working from home. Corporate security systems are more advanced than the home variety, and while doing business, a remote worker may accidentally let in a virus that can harm the computer. The results are devastating.
An employee’s confidential and financial data might be compromised. Bank accounts could be wiped out through bogus electronic transfers. Credit card accounts might be maxed out or new ones created and plundered. Hard-working employees should be protected from these assaults. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has credit monitoring and identity theft benefits in addition to group legal plans. Continue reading
Changes in the workplace were going on before the pandemic. A greater concern for employees and the need for emotional intelligence are becoming more essential as organizations adapt to a new normal. It is all for the better, but changes must have value to be accepted.
Additional benefits are standard ways to improve employee morale. The best ones will increase retention, encourage greater loyalty, and foster productivity. Management must decide what the employees want and need to get the desired full value from any employee benefit. Group legal plans do both.
Granting Employee Wishes. Continue reading
Deductibles are renewed on January 1 for most medical plans. This means an employee will have to pay as much as $5000 out-of-pocket for the full medical benefit kicks in. Anyone who starts an expensive medical treatment that overlaps the years pays the 2020 deductible and must pay the 2021 deductible. This is how people run into medical bill difficulties.
A Sense of Panic
Medical bills are a different breed of cat. A person receives an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and learns the magnitude of medical attention costs. The EOB, by the way, is not a bill. The figures, though, are still frightening. The anxiety and stress a person feels begin when the collection agencies start calling. Hospitals will send unpaid invoices to the collection agencies, and these will how the person for payment. The medical bills can be thousands of dollars. An individual begins to worry about financial wellness and does not know how to protect it. Continue reading
An organization employs people from different demographics. Each employee has a set of skills and works hard to meet goals. Senior employees, those over age 50, bring a wealth of knowledge gleaned from experience. Management needs those people to be productive, and smart executives try to remove any roadblocks. Older associates do have anxieties that center on financial wellness. The money issues can be very distracting.
Major Bills and Other Worries
The upcoming golden years present challenges that were not there years ago. Student loan debt is troubling if a senior employee is helping a child pay the education bill. Medical problems are covered by group health insurance, but deductibles and copayments can harm the wallet.
Death might come in a flash or months. A cardiac arrest may leave a person in a vegetative state. That is a personal disaster, but a much more significant problem will affect loved ones.
No Communication
People must communicate their wishes to a hospital or healthcare facility. There may be treatments a person objects to, and these must be avoided. Conversely, a patient might want the procedure performed. Hospitals must keep unless healthcare providers are told to turn off life support systems, the machines keep running. That will cause a second disaster.
Published By Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.