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Sad Couple in Financial TroubleThe signs aren’t looking too good for the American economy. We may have a recession that could go into 2024. It promises hard times for many people, and those facing bankruptcy will be the hardest hit.

Bankruptcy happens for many reasons. It is embarrassing, but sudden emergency expenses sometimes drain checking and savings accounts. An employee facing this type of threat to financial wellness must follow some essential steps to prevent a full-scale catastrophe. Here we suggest: Continue reading

Woman in home office with computer using telephone frowningEffective communication is a necessary quality for any employee benefit plan. It does not help if assistance is only provided with a webpage; employees have a right to expect more. Some issues require a person to be able to express individual concerns and seek remedies. An employee benefit that has sensitive and effective communication is helpful and appreciated.

Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers group legal plan benefits for organizations of all sizes. We have done this for years and know from experience that communication tools are necessary to provide high-quality service; we value excellent communication and provide our attorneys with the essential tools.

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Consumers rely on credit cards to make numerous transactions, and retailers encourage the use of plastic. It is convenient and easy to process, but identity theft is a severe problem. It is why credit monitoring is a critical service.

Good credit monitoring can detect signs of identity theft, alert consumers to changes in credit reports, and detect errors in the reports consumer receives, allowing a person to take action as soon as possible. Monitoring credit reports helps an individual improve credit scores and promotes peace of mind. Continue reading

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Folks are easily exasperated by their experience with government agencies. People do not understand why everything is so complicated and sometimes give up on obtaining the needed services. However, there are reasons why government services are not readily obtained, and there are ways to get them successfully.

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Consumer ProtectionConsumer protection is intended to help us avoid costly mistakes and keep hard-earned money safe. That is not always easy in a world of increasingly complex markets. A challenge is that many consumers are not very well educated on consumer protection, which can be a severe problem. There are many opportunities for fraud floating around on the Internet.

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Woman Stressed at Computer ScreenWe have some very sad news. In the next week or so, thousands of American consumers will open their credit card balance mail and discover they have been the victim of ID theft. Cyber thieves have broken into their credit card information, stolen their identification, and used it to charge various products and services. This nasty little crime leaves the victim thousands of dollars in new debt. Unfortunately, there is nothing new about this. The Federal Trade Commission has reported that millions of consumers have been the victims of this fraud.

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Common Mistakes ina Living WillLiving wills are legal documents that include a person’s wishes regarding the end of life medical care they will receive. They can be thought of as advance directives that may include medical powers of attorney that designates someone to make healthcare decisions on behalf of someone.

The living will enable an individual to communicate their wishes to ensure that loved ones are informed of their preferences in the event they are incapable of making decisions due to a medical condition. This is an essential document and, unfortunately, mistakes are often made when they are written.

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stockfresh_3091602_good-service-makes-the-difference-chalk-illustration_sizeS-300x168The quarantines imposed by the coronavirus pandemic have  given everybody a chance to reflect on their lives and changes needed. Some legal issues that have been placed on the back burner for too long are now becoming urgent. There is a mood of unfinished business among many employees. Group legal plans provide services to help.

Some of the Issues

A group legal plan can successfully resolve several situations that are everyday legal matters. Continue reading

stockfresh_8628171_legal-advice-book-title-3d_sizeS-300x150The coronavirus pandemic has Americans in a state of quarantine and there is no telling when this will all end. However, the legal process continues and will not be interrupted. There are still activities that require attention, and these include the witnessing and notarizing of legal documents.

 

The importance of witnessing and notarizing cannot be understated. Many legal documents must have that process completed to be legally binding and that includes powers of attorney and mortgages. Fortunately, some states are allowing remote online notarization (RON) to permit notaries to acknowledge documents without in-person witnesses. Other states are looking seriously at RON to deal with the current lockdown. Continue reading

small-claimsEmployees struggle with both work-related and personal stress issues. Money is at the top of the worry list. It sometimes seems that creditors are in a conspiracy to drive a person insane.

 

Major Causes of Anxiety

 

Financial wellness takes hits from all directions. Credit card debt, with the double-digit interest rates, can keep folks pacing the floor at night. Other problems impact specific demographics harder than others. College debt weighs heavily on young employees and especially recent college graduates. People in their mid-30s may be worried whether they can finally afford to buy a house. Older employees are grateful for the company’s health insurance, but the high deductibles are a serious mountain to climb. The need to save some money becomes an issue the older a person becomes. Continue reading