Lifestyle Maintenance

You’ve worked hard to create a wonderful lifestyle. Don’t let life’s surprises get in the way.

“Lifestyle protection” is a fancy way of saying “you don’t have to let the unexpected things in life undo all the good you’ve done.” Insurance is all about transferring risk so that you don’t have to take on one more responsibility.

Armed with a plan, you can protect your lifestyle.

At CCI Advisors, we take the guesswork out of making sure you know have a plan in place for whatever comes your way.

Our process makes sense. Here’s why.

 

Reason 1: We review your current commitments and future plans to ensure you’re protected.

The first step in lifestyle protection is to evaluate what makes your particular situation perfect for you. We craft solutions targeted to your budget and needs, so that you can get the protection you need at a cost that is sensible.

Reason 2: We identify the areas that need consideration.

You may have heard that you need various kinds of insurance, but you may not know what all the terms mean. We think an educated client is the most satisfied client, so we explain fully the areas you need to be covering, including:

– Long-term care insurance

– Life insurance

– Disability income insurance

– Estate planning, and

– Asset protection

Reason 3: We use a team approach to get a sense of your various commitments.

Our 50+ years of experience allows us to focus on what we do best – create an insurance plan that protects you. For expertise in tax planning, estate planning, and investment advice, we work with a group of qualified professionals to make sure you get the best advice possible.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Robin on the Board of NWCT for the past several months, and during that I have gotten to know Robin personally as well. She has exhibited a high sense of integrity, and a true compassion and unselfish desire to help others. She is technically savvy, and extremely good at taking an idea and turning it into an action plan while delegating with oversight. Robin has also offered her professional expertise to assist others in making the right decisions when it comes to their insurance and health care needs whether in transition or not. Robin is a trusted professional – and a great person.

 

(via LinkedIn)

Rosemary Fulton, PMP, CSM

Sr.Program Manager, SES, Barclaycard US

Estate planning
Some people hear the phrase “estate planning” and think that only applies to the very wealthy, people who have to worry about trust funds and fly their own jets. However, estate planning is for everyone. If you have a will, you need to have at least a minimal estate plan.

What is an estate plan? In simple terms, it assures that your wishes for what happens to your property and assets after you die are observed, to the largest extent possible. In addition, an estate plan will likely show you the tax implications of various choices you make, so that, armed with all the information, you can make the smartest choices possible.

Why is estate planning connected with insurance? Simply put, good estate planning requires a team of advisors – ideally, an attorney, an investment advisor, a CPA, and an insurance broker. There are many situations in which having a life insurance policy pay a benefit will ensure the success of a particular estate plan’s goals.

Retirement planning
How does retirement planning relate to insurance? What if you could protect your family and at the same time be saving money tax-free? What if you could slide your death benefits and cash savings up and down depending on what your current life situation was?

With universal life insurance, you can do exactly that. Along with a strong investment program, you can supplement your retirement goals while simultaneously providing valuable protection for your family. That’s making your money work for you!

Life insurance
Life insurance is an incredibly misunderstood product. You may have certain ideas about what it’s for and what kind to buy. Check the facts below to see if your knowledge of life insurance is as good as you think.

Myth: You only need term insurance.

Fact: Most people want to have at least some insurance past an age or time when they are still insurable. While term insurance is cheap when you’re young, the older you get, the less chance that term insurance will even be available to you, and if so, if it will even be affordable.

Myth: You can avoid buying permanent insurance if you buy term and invest the difference.

Fact: Almost no one has the discipline to actually follow through on the amount of dedicated savings that would be needed to meet the current interest rates offered by life insurance companies for their permanent products.

Myth: I only need insurance until I retire.

Fact: Most people don’t retire and then would feel good about leaving their spouse and children $0 if they died. You can adjust how much you leave your family, which is to say, if you have certain kinds of permanent insurance, you can make it worth for any time of life.

Myth: I’m a stay-at-home mom, I don’t need life insurance.

Fact: Replacing the responsibilities of most stay-at-home moms is expensive. Who’s going to shuttle the kids around, do the laundry, shop for groceries, etc.? If it’s a nanny, you’re going to be worth whatever a nanny would cost times the number of years you need to be supplying those “services” to your family. That’s worth a lot!

Disability income insurance
During your working years, you have a 1 in 3 chance of sustaining a long-term illness or injury that will prevent you from working. What happens to your family if this unfortunate fate happens to you?

Disability income insurance replaces a large majority of your income if you are unable to work. While you may have this benefit through your employer, the benefit is usually not transferable if you ever leave. Talk to us about having your own protection against losing income due to accident or illness.

Annuities
Annuities are the reverse of life insurance – you get paid to live. They are available in many types and by many carriers, but they solve important financial problems.

Annuities are great for:

– guaranteeing a certain payout for lifetime

– parking a large amount of cash, like what you’d get from a settlement or a life insurance benefit

– starting now or in the future, depending on your age

– earning interest tax-free if they are held for a number of years

Long-term care planning and insurance
For many people, the phrase “long-term care” evokes an image of an elderly person in a nursing home. If you’re young and have had the good fortune of never having a family member require either skilled nursing care or other kinds of long-term care, this image seems far away and like something you don’t need to worry about until much later, if at all.

The cold hard reality is, 50% of people will require some kind of long-term care during their lifetimes. This care is usually delivered in the home, by and 8-to-1 margin. It is administered to older people but also to people who have had a catastrophic accident or illness. It extends to people who have cognitive issues, and people who have physical issues. Unfortunately, accidents can happen at any age. And most importantly, this care is required for far longer and will be far more expensive than you can ever imagine.

The long-term care industry has gone through a lot of upheaval lately. There are excellent products out there, but knowing which ones are suitable requires not just the expertise of an insurance agent, but an agent who has completed multiple hours of intensive training to achieve special certification, renewed every two years. Regardless of whether a long-term care policy is right for you or not, you need a plan. At CCI Advisors we are certified experts in creating a long-term care plan for you.

Is your lifestyle protected?