4% retirement income is NOT safe amount

The 4% Retirement Rule is Wrong: The Lifestyle Rule  Rules

Advisors' 4% rule is NOT a “safe withdrawal” amount.
Advisors' expensive deferred annuities don't work.
Annuity guarantees are just not worth the price.
Fixed income returns are volatile—compare alternatives.
Create a Tax-FREE inflation-proof account for growth. 

            $9.95 by Dan Keppel http://www.amazon.com/4%25-Retirement-Rule-Wrong-Lifestyle/dp/1492218960

Variable annuity now costs 3.5% EACH year

The average cost of a “plain vanilla” (without a living or minimum benefit guarantee) VA contact, according to LIMRA, a life insurance industry trade association, is nearly 2.30% per year. When adding in the cost of a Living Benefit Guarantee (LBG), the average cost approaches 3.50% per year, according to Morningstar. These costs significantly reduce the potential growth of an investor’s account value, which usually translates to a reduction in the amount of annuitized income in retirement. And it is taxable. There is a better way to secure guaranteed tax-FREE income: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Retirement-Portfolio-Tax-FREE-Income/dp/1483994090

Most-stolen vehicles (total thefts in parentheses):

1. Honda Accord (58,596)

2. Honda Civic (47,037)

3. Ford Pickup (Full Size) (26,770)

4. Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size) (23,745)

5. Toyota Camry (16,251)

6. Dodge Caravan (11,799)

7. Dodge Pickup (Full Size) (11,755)

8. Acura Integra (9,555)

9. Nissan Altima (9,169)

10. Nissan Maxima (6,947)

Older Honda Accords and Civics were by far the most stolen models in 2012. The 1996 Accord led the list with 8,637 thefts. In fact, Accords and Civics account for the first 16 spots on the most stolen list and all are 1990-2000 models. By comparison, newer Hondas are rarely stolen, thanks to improved anti-theft technology. Shop for discounts on your insurance rates: http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Insurance-Beware-Double-Coverage/dp/1480027634

Is $7.25 an hour enough to live on in America?

America’s favorite sandwich makers have left the restaurant claiming they need more than $15,000 a year to pay the school loans, rent, etc—food is “FREE?” I assume. But owners don’t want to pay a living wage. They used to pay $1.60 in 1968. Oh, those good old days! But in today’s dollars, that would be $10.74. God forbid we have to go back to $11 minimum wage! Washington has been pushed farther right and isn’t sure what to do about wages. They favor paying less (GOP) but don’t want to bus in more illegal workers. So what can McD do? Henry Ford paid higher wages so his workers could buy his own products. Will Washington vote to let the 47% non-taxpaying Americans (Romney) get larger? Are we creating Two Americas—one that controls all the money and the other that live in trailers, eating only hamburger products?

Are CDA annuities right for you?

Insurers have cut back on the benefits of their annuities recently, leaving some owners stuck with huge penalties if they want to cancel. Insurers have come up with a new product twist—continent deferred annuities—benefits paid contingent on an underlying account being exhausted.

The consumer-oriented Center for Economic Justice maintains that CDAs are “dangerous” for consumers—“more dangerous than long-term care insurance or variable annuities with guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits (GLWB).”

The danger is that the new annuity benefits will be changed after profits are taken and annuity owners will have little value left for the costs.

The Center said, “Insurers will remove profits for 10, 15, 20 years and then, when there is greater than expected benefit requests, insurers will change the product in a way that destroys the value of the product for consumers who will no longer have the opportunity to make an alternative investment.” It is “incomprehensible,” the letter said, “that regulators are allowing an even riskier product – the CDA.” Consider alternatives: Annuity Laddering: Inflation-proof Retirement Income  http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1484849663

Are you driving yourself out of savings?

Georgia is the most expensive state to operate a motor vehicle and Oregon is the cheapest, according to a new Bankrate.com report. Bankrate factored in the costs of gasoline, insurance, repairs, taxes and fees. In Georgia, a typical driver spends $4,233 per year to operate his or her vehicle. That is almost double the cost in Oregon ($2,204). The national average is $3,201. Ways to save: http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Insurance-Beware-Double-Coverage/dp/1480027634

Are you paying double for homeowner’s insurance?

A survey by Bankrate found that rates ranged by as much as 188 percent!

The quotes were gathered in June 2013 and were based on $250,000 full replacement coverage for a single-family home and $300,000 in liability coverage. Each policy included a $500 deductible, $1,000 per person medical coverage and a $500 replacement limit for property damage. Not all companies in the survey provided quotes for every location. It's important to shop every two years: http://www.amazon.com/Homeowners-Insurance-Beware-Coverage-Policy/dp/1480100870

Bad doctor list

The National Practitioner Data Bank is a confidential (not for citizens) information clearinghouse created by Congress with the primary goals of improving health care quality, protecting the public, and reducing health care fraud and abuse in the U.S. It was set up to track incompetent physicians, dentists, and other health care practitioners when they move from state to state without disclosure or discovery of previous medical malpractice payment and adverse action history. Doctor peer groups were supposed to end bad doctor careers but that requires doctors to punish their own. Unfortunately, it does not happen and we can’t see the list. http://www.npdb-hipdb.hrsa.gov/index.jsp

Long-term care insurance buyers paying more

The average buyer of LTC coverage is younger than ever before—aged 53. The insurers noticed that they preferred younger clients with a longer "runway" of premiums on average. The LTC Tree study also found that decline rates for those ages 65+ are 220% higher than decline rates for those ages 45-55—younger people are healthier. This means insurers are capturing younger people who will have to pay premiums for an average of 30 years before only 4% of them become an expense. Insurers have a longer income stream ($2000 premium for 30 years) and larger reserves of $500,000+. Consider creating your own reserve: http://www.amazon.com/Long-term-Care-Insurance-better-alternatives/dp/147006877X/
 

SCAMS           “Deficits don’t matter” Republican godfather, Dick Cheney, 2002

Fed loan guarantees for new “jobs” is another Welfare for the rich

Department of Agriculture’s $1.6 billion business and industry loan program has produced few jobs but lots of bank profits. Banks make loans that have no risk and get paid by US. $10 million buys 36 jobs?!

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Show your child how Warren Buffett invests $100

Where can your child invest $100 now? Show your child how Warren Buffett invests

*Teach your child to invest the Buffett way.

*Success with money starts early.

*Compounding over time assures your child of security.

You have a great opportunity to teach your child how to become successful with money. They can learn to take care of themselves and even become wealthy from your guidance TODAY. Warren started with his paper route money and now has $60 billions.

      Only $9.95 by Law Steeple, author, The Miracle of Compounding

http://www.amazon.com/Where-can-your-child-invest/dp/1492164240/

 Annuity you inherited just got better!

The IRS released a Private Letter Ruling (PLR 201330016) that enables the beneficiary of an inherited annuity to use a tax-free Section 1035 exchange to move the funds to a new insurer’s annuity that better reflects the beneficiary's needs and investment objectives: Annuity Laddering: Inflation-proof Retirement Income  http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1484849663

Obama formula working

The U.S. trade deficit shrank sharply in June as U.S. exports reached an all-time monthly record high. The gap is the smallest since October 2009. The Congressional Budget Office forecasts that the deficit could drop to 4% of GDP for the fiscal year ending 30 September. Deficit was cut in HALF from Bush high of 10% of GDP in 2009.

ObamaCare subsidies help HALF insured pay for coverage

About half the people who now buy their own health insurance — and potentially would face higher premiums next year under President Barack Obama's health care law — would qualify for federal tax credits to offset rate shock, according to a new private study. People can enroll starting Oct. 1, and coverage becomes effective Jan. 1. Most people currently covered by employer plans are not affected. Policyholders' annual out-of-pocket costs will be capped. Insurers will have to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions, whose needs are costlier to provide for. Policies must provide certain standard benefits, including prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment and rehabilitative services. Buy only what you need and save: http://www.amazon.com/Health-Insurance-ONLY-right-policy/dp/1480125083

Cell phone just got more expensive: CELL TAX 

Look for a new tax on your monthly cell phone bill to pay for a plan to put WiFi in more classrooms. What happened to the 3Rs?

Fee-for-advice broker decides to push own products

Edward Jones plans to start selling proprietary investment products in a sharp break from the past. Jones use of proprietary funds is contrary to its long-stated message to its financial advisers to rely not on proprietary products but instead on a cadre of outside money managers. Independent investment advisers routinely touted the absence of proprietary products from their platforms as being in the best interests of clients. Now that competitive difference is gone. Better results with low-cost funds WITHOUT Wall Street: http://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Without-Wall-Street-Commissions/dp/1442168137

Insurer pays you to eat right!?

Independent Health wants you to eat more fruit and vegetables and is making it worth your while. The insurance carrier is teaming up with Tops Friendly Markets on a rewards benefit that offers its members money back every time they buy fresh produce at the supermarket chain. For every $2 that eligible Independent Health members spend, they'll earn $1 to spend later at Tops grocery stores, an incentive intended to spur people to eat more carrots and broccoli and fewer pork rinds and doughnuts. BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York doesn't have a supermarket-based, money-back program, but it does have a "robust discount program" that covers health, wellness and fitness programs.

Employers cut spouse health coverage

A growing number of companies are looking to clamp down on rising health care costs by dumping coverage for their employees' working spouses. Others are requiring their workers to pay extra money to cover a spouse who could get health insurance elsewhere. And some may even consider making employees pay the full cost of insuring their children. Denying coverage for a working spouse who has access to other health insurance is an extreme example of how companies are trying cut costs, experts said. But many others, such as PNC Bank, are imposing a surcharge on their employees' spouses. http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/4540022-74/health-spouses-costs#axzz2cne7pz2t

SCAMS           “Deficits don’t matter” Republican godfather, Dick Cheney, 2002

Welfare for the rich

Our “representatives” support their friends’ tax loopholes in secret. Taxpayers, who pay for them, are not allowed to see who supports which corporate subsidy. Loopholes are marked secret for 50 years so we can’t know who pays for whom. The real business of Washington is to stay hidden. Sen. Baucus and Hatch are assembling this list of loopholes for the Senate. This is not a democracy. How can we judge these people if we don’t know what they are doing to get elected? Who is paying them for subsidies and loopholes?

White-collar crime: Hide $6.2 billion and don’t even get charged! 

Two former JPMorgan Chase employees are facing criminal charges related to the trading scandal that cost the bank $6.2 billion last year, but the trader who earned the nickname "the London Whale" and was at first most closely tied to the scandal is not one of them. 

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Best long-term investment and it's tax-FREE

The Best Long-term Investment: And it’s tax-FREE

Earn 10-12% a year over time.
Pay annual fees of only $50 per $100,000 invested.
Pay NO advisor or broker commission/fees.
Pay NO trading costs or taxes.
Set up your investment policy in 1 hour.
Let the miracle of compounding work for you.
                 by Law Steeple, author, The Miracle of Compounding

You can use the BEST long-term investment ever. It was proven successful by Warren Buffett. Mr Buffett started with $6,000 saved from his paper routes and in 60 years, accumulated $60 billions. Mr Buffett's successful strategy is called compounding.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Long-term-Investment-its-tax-FREE/dp/1492117455/

Are you in the SECOND longest bull market in history?

Like most people, I did not realize that the market has been positive for almost two years straight. Most people left after the ’07 disaster and have not come back yet. Media hype is low so few see that this is the time to be in it. Proof: 3-year annual return=18%, 37-year annual return=10.75%. The Simple Financial Life: How to get what you want without going into debt and living paycheck to paycheck. http://www.amazon.com/The-Simple-Financial-Life-paycheck/dp/1441499326

ObamaCare provides $5,548 to help buy insurance

Families eligible for tax credits to help purchase health insurance in the new exchange created by the Affordable Care Act will receive an average of $5,548 in instant tax credits. These immediate credits will apply directly to individuals' and families' premiums, making coverage instantly more affordable for those who do not get health care through their employer. These instant tax credits will be available to people earning less than four times the poverty level--about $94,000 for a family of four. This means that 48 percent of people who currently buy insurance for themselves will be eligible for reduced premiums. Buy only what you need and save:http://www.amazon.com/Health-Insurance-ONLY-right-policy/dp/1480125083

GOP House passes ObamaCare repeal bill the 40^th time

These “representatives” are costing us $75 million a year to “do the same thing over and over with the expectation of a different outcome.” That behavior is the definition of insanity, according to some. Ms Bachmann sponsors the repeal bill!

Crash: only HALF of small cars studied receive acceptable rating

The failures: Chevrolet Sonic Volkswagen Beetle Chevrolet Cruze Nissan Sentra Kia Soul Kia Forte (2014). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said only two of 12 compact cars earned the highest rating for small overlap tests—the Honda Civic 2- and 4-door models. Toyota's Camry, most popular, did poorly on a new crash test this year. Cars with the institute's highest safety rating: Honda Accord, Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Ford Fusion, Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kashai and the Volkswagen Passat.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505266_162-57597549/crash-test-finds-only-half-of-small-cars-studied-receive-acceptable-rating/

TX creates jobs but at $10/hr, working class life is not possible: Is this a Banana Republic?

Texas is a miracle in job creation, gov says. However, it has done it by turning back time to the 1860s, when Chinese work gangs were used to replace Irish workers for ½ wages. Texas workers are paid $10 an hour for long hot days constructing buildings with no overtime, no workmen’s comp, no health insurance; no bathroom breaks, and often pay delayed. Subcontractors promise and then disappear. America looks like Honduras 1870 when it was ruled by 1% owners and 99% worked for 1 cent /hour, no benefits.

Is this the America we want: Two Americas—cheap labor and the 1% owners?

40% drivers say they don’t want car monitor to save premium

Surveys of prospective Progressive Snapshot users have shown that “you get about 30 percent of people saying, ‘Yeah, why not?’; you get another 30 percent of people saying, ‘Maybe, I need to know more’; and you get about 40 percent of people saying, ‘No way in hell.’” Get all your discounts:http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Insurance-Beware-Double-Coverage/dp/1480027634

Doctors cutting fees by HALF to eliminate middleman

Physicians who have moved to a direct-pay practice report being able to slash medical care prices charged to patients by half or more thanks to significantly lower overhead resulting from cutting out the bureaucratic red tape and paperwork associated with insurance payment.  Increased face time with patients is another important benefit cited by doctors who have transitioned to direct-pay. Patients can still submit claim for reimbursement from insurers. Insurers often pay much less than retail anyway when the doctor is in PPO. Buy only what you need and save: http://www.amazon.com/Health-Insurance-ONLY-right-policy/dp/1480125083

Ms Bachmann becomes Swiss citizen—failed US history class but oversees CIA!?!

About 1,800 people renounced their American citizenship during the first half of this year, compared to about 1,000 for all of 2012, according to Internal Revenue Service data.

Can you believe they give up America for money?

An increasing number of Americans have decided the cost and hassle of hanging on to their citizenship is too taxing, according to federal data.

OK, but just don’t call the Marines or Consul when you get in trouble over there!!

And Bachmann is still overseeing the CIA, NSA, etc? AND getting farm subsidies from Switzerland?! And she sponsors the 40th ObamaCare repeal bill—insanity!

Three cans of sugar soda per day can be lethal, study finds

Sugar can kill you. Make sure you have the right life insurance to protect your family. Costs have come down so a $1 a day can buy $500,000 even for a 50 year old. Save $$17,970 with the right one! http://www.amazon.com/kindle-store/dp/B009MA9K78

Is market timing (TAA) right for you?

83 percent of financial planners had moved away from buy-and-hold strategies toward market timing in '08 -- what's often referred to as tactical asset allocation (TAA). There have been many studies on TAA funds, all showing the same results -- poor and inconsistent returns. A study that found that for the 12 years ending in 1997, while the S&P 500 on a total return basis rose 734 percent, the average equity fund returned just 589 percent, but the average return for 186 TAA funds was a mere 384 percent. That's about half the return of the S&P 500 Index. Advisors want to be rich not right. Invest the way Warren Buffett invests:http://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Investment-Strategy-Forget/dp/1484822900

SCAMS           “Deficits don’t matter” Republican godfather, Dick Cheney, 2002

Banks holding commodities with our tax subsidies—And our bailout money

The largest U.S. banks are accused of causing problems in markets ranging from energy to aluminum. Regardless of whether they’re guilty of market-rigging, as critics say, the charges raise another question: Why are the banks in these businesses in the first place?

Banks are using cheap money to help themselves, not make loans to business. Anyone could make money this way—borrow at 0.001% and make 18%--and if a market collapses, bailout by taxpayers! How sweet.http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-01/bloomberg-view-the-wrong-business-for-big-banks

Have you received a letter about your medical situation?

Your personal health info is being sold by your State government for cash. Even though the law says doctors/hospitals can’t sell it, they give it to the state which sells it to the data-mining firms that do. Drug companies buy it so they can sell you or your doctor on their stuff. Data-miners get $10 billions and you get NOTHING. You might protect yourself by giving your providers your wrong ZIP. Hackers have a gold mine!

GOP to shut government but Obama cut Bush deficits by over HALF

Deficit was 10% of GDP in ’09. Obama has reduced it to 4%. Why do they still complain about spending with our bridges falling apart and 100 million people out of work or underemployed?

Who can look at your personal credit without your permission?

Folks you may not want to see can see your info because you have no control over what these companies can sell. http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/8-people-access-credit-report.html

Who owns your account now?

A Dick Tracey wrist phone, Galaxy Gear, will be out in a month. Finally, a smartphone I like!

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Earn 50% more with Tax-FREE 401k

Tune up your 401k: EARN 50% more Tax-FREE

Accumulate $1,000,000 free of fees and taxes.
Avoid ALL 401k plan Wealth Killers.
Use a tax-FREE account--better than tax-Deferred.
Buy low-cost mutual funds averaging 10-12%. 

     Accumulating wealth requires that we avoid high plan and advisor fees, commissions, loads and ... taxes--the Wealth Killers.
Since you have a 401k, why not earn 50% more? We avoid fees by buying ONLY the financial services we need at a discount. We avoid taxes by using an IRS-approved tax-FREE account. We reinvest ALL our earnings. We accumulate $1 million by leveraging the Miracle of Compounding over time. 

http://www.amazon.com/Tune-your-401k-EARN-Tax-FREE/dp/1490591028

Boomers working for themselves to guarantee retirement money

A recent survey by AARP found 10 percent of workers ages 45 to 74 plan to start a business and 15 percent workers in this age range are already self-employed. Some start a business due to a job loss, others had already retired but weren't ready to fully stop working. On average, self-employed workers in their 40s or 50s may spend nearly two decades working for themselves, the AARP study found. Nearly 75 percent of older self-employed workers surveyed by AARP indicated that their business made a profit in 2011. That may explain why nine out of 10 believe it is not likely they will have to stop working in the next year.http://www.amazon.com/Are-you-ready-retirement-worst/dp/1491002662

Credit bureaus destroy your credit and prospects for job, insurance, etc AND

Answer to no one!

Despite the huge judgment—$18 million—little is going to change for the millions of Americans who discover errors in their credit reports. The credit bureaus are willing to tolerate these errors — and settle with consumers out of court — as a cost of doing business, according to credit experts and lawyers who work on these cases. “Their business model is to keep doing the same thing over and over again,” said Justin Baxter, the lead lawyer on Ms. Miller’s case. “They can buy off a number of consumers with small dollar amounts and get rid of the vast majority of cases. To Equifax, that’s the cost of doing business.” The bureaus often outsource thousands of disputes daily to workers overseas. Congress does nothing after damning FTC report. 

The dispute process is not easy or effective:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/your-money/credit-scores/credit-bureaus-willing-to-tolerate-errors-experts-say.html?

California’s Most Successful Small Group Private Exchange Says Everyone Benefits Through Competition Between Public and Private Exchanges

CaliforniaChoice, the nation’s most successful small group private exchange, said today it welcomes the addition of Covered California into the state’s health insurance landscape. CaliforniaChoice launched its private health insurance exchange in California in 1996 and currently serves more than 10,000 employers and 150,000 individuals statewide. “Competition makes everyone better, and consumers always win when competition is free and open” Covered California announced the carriers who will be participating in its Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) marketplace. Some of this network overlaps the long-established network of CaliforniaChoice, widely considered one of the best health insurance exchanges in the country with coverage from Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Sharp Health Plan, and Western Health Advantage. https://www.calchoice.com/

Paying more on student loan than needed?

Just 3 out of 10 borrowers in the repayment plans that pegs a borrower’s payment to his or her monthly income. These income-based repayment plans (known as IBR) are generally praised by student advocates for making loans affordable and because they forgive the remaining balance after 10, 20, or 25 years, depending on the program. Survey found that given the average amount borrowers in each program owed, “it’s possible that many borrowers in plans not based on income might be better off with an income-based plan.” Compare your payment to an IBR plan: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-07/the-u-dot-s-dot-has-a-really-helpful-student-loan-repayment-program-and-no-ones-using-it?

Obama’s own staff workers don’t know that ObamaCare is for those without health insurance!

IRS chief Daniel Werfel says he wants to keep his health care plan, not switch to Obamacare in testimony to GOP.

Werfel should read the law he is supposed to enforce: http://www.naic.org/index_health_reform_faq.htm

What RomneyCare accomplished for Massachusetts: http://mittromneycentral.com/resources/romneycare/#1

Two Americas—Going part time

According to a recent Gallup poll: Fewer Americans aged 18 to 29 worked full time for an employer in June 2013 (43.6%) than did so in June 2012 (47.0%). 

SCAMS           “Deficits don’t matter” Republican godfather, Dick Cheney, 2002

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

What did I do wrong? 10 mistakes you can fix

What did I do wrong?  10 financial mistakes you can fix today!

Are your …

Investments earning less than the market average of 10%?

Advisors taking fees without meeting your goals?

Trading costs and taxes eating up your profits?

Brokers not sticking with your investment policy?

Emotions freezing you out of the stock market?

You can correct these mistakes by using the time-tested strategy proven successful by Warren Buffett. $12.95 by Law Steeple, author, The Miracle of Compounding

http://www.amazon.com/What-did-wrong-financial-mistakes/dp/1491095946

 

Used 2010 car can save you 40% over new—same model

Quality is proven by owners who have used the car for 3 years. The JDPower Dependability survey shows you which car to buy and which to avoid. Unless you need a party talking point, a used Toyota will require HALF the cost to repair as a Land Rover, which is last on the list, just below Audi and Jaguar. Plus, Land Rover is now a Tata of India not of Britain . Check for Sandy flood damage before buying:

http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/dependability-press-release.htm

 

States with ‘stand your ground’ laws have doubled number homicides!!

Check your state law before you “shoot first” since your insurer may not cover your criminal or civil defense costs.  Alabama (enacted: 2006) Alaska (enacted: 2011) Arizona (enacted:2006 ) Florida  (enacted: 2005)Georgia (enacted:2006) Indiana (enacted: 2006) Kansas (enacted:2006) Kentucky (enacted:2006) Louisiana (enacted:2006) Michigan (enacted: 2006) Mississippi (enacted: 2006) Missouri (enacted: 2007) Montana (enacted: 2009) Nevada (enacted: 2011) New Hampshire (enacted:2011) North Carolina (enacted:2011) North Dakota (enacted: 2007) Ohio (enacted: 2008) Oklahoma (enacted:2006) Pennsylvania (enacted:2011) South Carolina (enacted: 2008) Tennessee (enacted: 2007) Texas (enacted: 2007) Utah (enacted:2010)West Virginia (enacted: 2008) Wisconsin (enacted: 2011)

The Sunshine State FL has used the law in over 200 cases to pardon or grant immunity to offenders, usually white. Stand your ground has certainly affected crime statistics. In 2010, five years after the first stand your ground law was enacted, ‘justifiable’homicides by civilians using firearms doubled in the states with stand your ground, whereas they fell or remained about the same in the states without it. http://www.amazon.com/Lawsuit-Insurance-need-right-policy/dp/1480061123

Two Americas —one for insured and one for uninsured
When the state-based insurance exchanges open next year under Obamacare, many Americans should finally have access to affordable insurance. But millions of others will most likely be left out in the cold and remain uninsured.

These folks -- mainly low-income adults in the 21 states that aren't expanding Medicaid -- will not be eligible for either the long-standing government health insurance program for the poor, or for premium subsidies in the new exchanges.

Some 4.9 million people will not be covered in 2016 if these states don't expand, according to the Urban Institute. Another 1.5 million uninsured are in six states that are considering expansion, but have yet to approve it.

Will the uninsured move to states with insurance benefits?

 

What is in a job title?

Based on its analysis of the country's top 10 insurance companies, CFA found price quotes that were as much as 40 percent higher for drivers with less education and lower-job status. "Lower - and moderate-income people should not be required to pay more, based on factors like education and occupation that have nothing at all to do with driving risk," said J. Robert Hunter, CFA's director of insurance. "These higher premiums are an important reason why many low and moderate income Americans drive uninsured." Use your ‘best’ job title and buy only what you need with ALL the discounts:http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Insurance-Beware-Double-Coverage/dp/1480027634

 

Train driver kills 79 while on the phone

Spanish train operator talked while driving—like many motorists. Despite all the warnings about the dangers of talking or texting while driving, driver killed 79 people during the call!

 

How is your hospital rated?

Few make the top rating. The rates are risk-adjusted based on patient characteristics, such as age, gender, and other health conditions, including high blood pressure and diabetes. Consumer Reports used length of hospital stay after surgery as an indicator of patient well-being to determine who would get its coveted solid red circle.  Community hospitals, which did better in this report, often refer their more complicated cases elsewhere. CR tried to get clinical data, but groups that collect it would not provide it.

http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/surgery-ratings-national-list/SurgeryRatingsRev.pdf

 

GE says LTCi increase due—reviews product line

GE has to increase the price of products sold before 2002 to bring them closer to the break-even point; ask for smaller, relatively frequent increases on newer blocks of business; and introduce new products that are designed, underwritten and priced more carefully, CEO McInerney said. LTCI net operating income increased to $26 million, from $14 million. Individual LTCI sales fell to $38 million, from $53 million, and group sales fell to $5 million, from $7 million. Check alternatives first. http://www.amazon.com/Long-term-Care-Insurance-better-alternatives/dp/147006877X

 

Investors losing trust in advisors—fees just lower returns

Investors are having a hard time trusting their advisers, according to the Forgotten Investor Survey, a poll of 908 retail investors by State Street Corp.

As a group, financial advisers are trusted by a meager 15% of respondents, down from a third of respondents who trusted advisers in a similar survey conducted in 2012.

“The core of the problem is that investors don't believe the fees they're paying are commensurate with the return on their investments,” said Suzanne Duncan, global head of research at State Street 's Center for Applied Research. When asked about what advisers are failing to deliver, respondents said performance, unbiased and high-quality advice, and transparency. Advisors fees just drag returns: http://www.amazon.com/your-Wall-Street-Stock-traders/dp/1490533273

SCAMS           “Deficits don’t matter” Republican godfather, Dick Cheney, 2002

 

Credit bureaus are not accountable to anyone--$18 million worth!

Ever try to fix errors in your credit report? Reports are used to decide if you get insurance and get hired. Finally, a lawsuit verdict of $18 million may help get credit bureaus to take care before they put bad things in our reports that are not ours. Congress needs change the way they do business. Credit bureaus profit from our data but are not accountable to anyone.http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2013/02/creditreport.shtm

Maybe $18 mil will get their attention and correct the errors.

http://news.yahoo.com/jury-awards-oregon-woman-18-202709915.html

 

Millions of our money goes to farmers illegally

The federal government pays millions of dollars in farm subsidies each year to farmers who have died, because the AgricultureDepartment lacks the proper controls to make sure the money it sends is going to the right people, a government audit has found. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, which oversees the Agriculture Department’s conservation programs, sent out $10.6 million in payments between 2008 and 2012 to more than 1,000 people who had been dead for more than a year, according to the report.

 

IAN

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