Life insurance has played a key role in either the creation or survival of some of the most iconic American institutions that we all know. If it wasn't for life insurance, many of us would have never experienced the magical world that we all loved and grew up to take our own kids to, a man's personal struggles during the Great Depression would have prevented a major store chain from coming into existence, and the golden arches would have served a few hundred thousand people

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. As a small business owner, you know how important your business is not only to you and your family, but also to your employees and your community. It's more than just your family that counts on your business to continue operating. That's why including protection into your business plan is one of the most important things you can do. Life insurance can help protect you and your partners in a variety of ways, and help ensure

When you think of life insurance, what usually comes to mind is the death benefit -- the amount of money that is paid out to the beneficiary when someone dies. While the death benefit is the main reason most people buy life insurance, it definitely isn't the only thing it's capable of. If you get the right type of life insurance, it can provide numerous "living benefits" that you can take advantage of throughout your lifetime. (Side note: there are two main types of life i

While the term estate planning may sound like it's only for the wealthy, it's really about managing and preserving the assets you have and passing them on according to your wishes after you pass away. This can and should be done, even with smaller estates as well. When this type of planning isn't done, things go through probate, and drag on through the system, which means more of your hard earned money and assets will go to the government in the process of "figuring out" wh

Nearly 80 million boomers are now reaching retirement age, and they make up nearly one-fourth of the U.S. population. The oldest of this group are likely contemplating retirement, or have already done so. Roughly 10,000 a day qualify for Social Security payments, and many of them have done a poor job in preparing for the years that are still ahead of them. The question is, why haven't they planned? Thirty-four percent of older Boomers said that they did not understand the

Shopping for long term care insurance can be difficult, and confusing. Between policy options, coverage estimates, inflation riders, spousal options, and other additional riders that are available, it can make your head spin. It can be easy to throw up your hands and say you'll deal with it later. But this would be a costly mistake, especially if you've reached your 50's. Many people have heard how expensive long term care insurance is, so they just write it off and assume

Last week we kicked off the conversation about long-term care in our quest to dispel the mystery around what many find to be an intimidating subject. It doesn't have to be so scary, and we're committed to simplifying it for you. Since November is Long-Term Care Awareness month, we're rolling out Part 1 of our month-long series about long-term care. THE BASICS Say the words long-term care and chances are you think "nursing home". The reason so many people have this idea in

Time's have changed and women are redefining their roles at work and at home with more options than ever before. Women are achieving unprecedented levels of work-life balance and financial independence, and from a fellow woman, it's about time! But there's one glaring piece that is missing in many financial plans. When thinking about what we need to do to protect ourselves financially, there are certain things that immediately come to mind that we all think of like health,

When you are a small business owner, your family members aren't the only people depending on you. You have employees, partners, and all of their families that would be significantly affected if something should happen to you. Not to mention that the company that you have worked so hard to build could be destroyed. In a nut shell, that's the short explanation of why a small business owner needs life insurance. But there's a lot more to know, so let's go over the main points.