Here are a few ‘green’ tips to help you improve your family’s overall health and budget.

There’s growing evidence that indoor air can be more seriously polluted than outdoor air, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov/iaq). And with 90 percent of your time spent indoors, health risks from airborne pollutants inside the home may be much higher than you think.

When you are remodeling, consider installing hard-surface flooring rather than carpeting to protect indoor air for the long term. If you decide to go with carpeting, you can now find products that meet the Carpet and Rug Institute (www.carpet-rug.org) air quality standards for low emissions through its Green Label program. Ask for carpet manufacturers with recycling programs; many will accept used carpets for recycling or remanufacture. An estimated 5 billion pounds of carpet goes to landfills annually because its synthetic components prevent easy recycling.

Repainting as well? Request paints that do not use volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs, which are used in paints, lacquers and cleaning supplies. VOCs emit gases with significant health effects. Low- or no-VOC paints (and cleaning products) are now widely available.

Other common sources of indoor air pollution include cabinetry and insulation (formaldehyde), improperly vented fireplaces and poorly installed or maintained heating and cooling systems or home appliances, such as gas ranges, stove hoods or water heaters.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Check back every Friday for more saving you money for life tips. And for a free term life insurance quote, contact a licensed life insurance agent at AccuQuote. People like you have saved up to 70 percent on their life insurance coverage by letting AccuQuote compare term life rates across the market!

Without credit cards, many of us wouldn’t be able to buy the things we want or need. They are great financial tools, especially in emergency situations, but many Americans have too much credit debt and are struggling to get out any time soon.

If you have a permanent life insurance policy (the kind with a cash value), you can borrow against it to pay off your credit card debt. Sure, you’re basically borrowing your own money and paying interest to use your own money, but if you’re struggling to find other ways to pay off your debt, this might be a good option for you. In most cases, the interest rate will be a lot lower than the interest you are paying on your credit cards.

However, keep in mind that the money you borrow will be subtracted from the total death benefit amount. It’s important to consider your family’s overall financial situation and determine if the remaining amount will be enough to support them financially if you died today. Only use your permanent life insurance policy’s cash value to pay off your credit card debt if you’re absolutely sure that your family will have enough money to live on when you’re no longer around.

For questions about the uses of permanent or term life insurance, contact a licensed life insurance agent at AccuQuote.

March 10, 2010

Taking on new debt increases the need for more life insurance

Description:

Debt is something that many Americans are familiar with. In fact, living with a debt is just simply a way of life for some people. In this podcast, Byron Udell, the nation’s foremost life insurance and annuity industry expert, explains why taking on new debt increases the need for more life insurance.

Size: 3.06 MB

Length: 3:20

Click here to download

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Are you looking to join an organization that cares about its clients & employees, and that is continuing to grow its business? If you work efficiently and effectively and want a fast-paced, exciting role, then you’re exactly what we’re looking for!

Our recruiting team is exhibiting at the Harper College Career Fair, in Palatine, Illinois, on Friday, March 12, 2010 from 11:00AM—3:00PM. The career fair is FREE and a great opportunity to learn more about the current career opportunities we have available! For more information on signing up to attend this career fair, please visit the Harper College Career Fair Page.

Some of the positions we are hiring for are:

• Account Executives
• Sales/Customer Service Specialist
• Administrative Clerk

For more information about our open positions’ duties, responsibilities and requirements, visit the AccuQuote career page.

In its simplest form, life insurance is generally thought of as salary replacement. But it actually does a lot more than that. When a loved one dies, life insurance helps pay for some of life’s more important expenses. Here are some examples…

Immediate expenses:

• Funeral costs
• Uncovered medical expenses
• Mortgage
• Car loans
• Credit card debt
• Taxes
• Estate settlement taxes

Ongoing expenses:

• Food
• Housing
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Health care
• Clothing
• Insurance

Future Expenses:

• College
• Retirement

Think about your family’s overall financial budget. Would they have the means to pay for these expenses, plus other unexpected costs if you died today? A term life insurance policy worth about 10 to 15 times your annual salary (more or less depending on your individual situation) should be enough to give your family the financial freedom they deserve to continue living the lifestyle they’re used to. For a free term life insurance quote, contact one of our experienced life insurance agents today. Currently, term life rates are near record lows!

We spend a lot of our time talking about the importance of term life insurance, but when you’re in the market for life insurance, it’s important to consider all of your options. I mean, if you’re looking for a new house you don’t just buy the first one you see, right? Probably not. That’s why you should weigh the pros and cons of each type of life insurance coverage (permanent and term life), before making a buying decision.

And if you’re a young couple, it’s especially important to consider both types of life insurance coverage. Why? Because the coverage will last for a significant part of your life, or maybe even your entire life if you choose permanent coverage. But many young couples don’t realize the benefits of permanent life insurance. 

Here’s how beneficial a permanent life insurance policy can be at a young age…

• Coverage lasts for your entire lifetime – That’s right. Permanent life insurance covers you until you die (as long as you make your premium payments on time). Meaning, you’ll still have the life insurance protection as you reach retirement age and beyond.
• Guaranteed death benefit – Since permanent life insurance coverage lasts pretty much forever, your beneficiaries are guaranteed to receive the death benefit when you die. With term life insurance, you’re pretty much betting against yourself. Meaning, if the length of your term life coverage expires before you die, your beneficiaries won’t receive the proceeds.
• Added cash-value – Premiums are more expensive for permanent life insurance coverage because there is a savings element attached to the policy. This saving element (or cash-value) builds up over time. You can use this extra money to pay for future expenses, such as medical bills, long-term care or other unforeseen costs as you get older.
• Premium payments remain the same for life – Even though permanent life insurance is more expensive initially, the payments remain the same for life. With term life insurance, premiums go up as you get older and as your health becomes more of a concern. Young couples who are relatively healthy can get permanent coverage at a lower cost now than at an older, unhealthier age. It’s especially important to take this into consideration if your family has a history of medical problems, such as cancer.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter what type of life insurance you have, as long as you have some coverage for you family’s financial future. For more information on permanent or term life insurance, contact a licensed life insurance agent at AccuQuote. They’ll give you a free term life insurance quote based on your individual needs.

Summer is finally on its way! (Well ok, it’s not even spring yet) But it’s still important to start saving now so you can enjoy a summer full of sun and fun!

Here are a few tips from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

PLAN AHEAD: Start your search early — even thinking about summer 2011 now — so you know which camp you want to pursue well in advance, said Peter Surgenor, president of the American Camp Association, which has 2,500 member camps. And, especially on sleep away camps, don’t skimp on research because you’ll forfeit a lot of money if you pull your child out early if he doesn’t like the camp — or isn’t ready for overnights.

If you decide on day camp, call your local parks and recreation department, churches and synagogues, art schools, colleges, Boy Scout and Girl Scout councils and other groups that may sponsor less expensive camps.

ALWAYS ASK ABOUT AID: Camp can cost from $100 a week to $800 and more per week, but many sponsors offer financial aid. Surgenor said aid is not used as much as it could be because people don’t ask often enough. Last year, camps gave out more than $39 million, but it varies by camp and other factors so ask the director for specifics, and ask early so you can vie for partial or full scholarships, said Christina Vercelletto, senior editor at Parenting magazine.

SEEK DISCOUNTS: Signing up before winter’s end can get you 5 to 10 percent of at some camps, said Janet Siroto, executive editor at Good Housekeeping. Sending siblings to the same camp can win you another 10 percent discount for each additional child. And some camps offer discounts for attending multiple weeks. If you refer other campers you also may be able to get a discount, sometimes $100.

For campers ages 14 and up, check out counselor-in-training programs, which kids attend for reduced fees while still having fun, Siroto said. Check with each camp for specifics.

DO IT YOURSELF: Even parents who work can band together, Siroto said, and watch small groups of one another’s children throughout the summer for free. By rotating vacation time, each family takes responsibility for a week at a time and takes the group swimming, to museums and on other adventures.

”The moms pool their ideas and then it’s Camp Mom,” she said. ”If you’re one of six moms, you’ve got six weeks of free camp with neighborhood kids.”

HELP AT TAX TIME: In many cases, camp costs can be deducted from your income because they’re considered child care for kids under age 13. If you have a workplace flexible-spending account for dependent care, make sure to seek reimbursement there (or open one for next year). Or seek the deductions when you file your return.

Check out AccuQuote’s blog every Friday for more ‘saving you money for life’ tips! And for a free term life insurance quote from one of the best term life insurance companies around, contact a licensed life insurance agent today while term life rates are still near record lows!

When you buy life insurance, you’re buying a promise from a life insurance company to supply your loved ones with the death benefit when you die. In order to trust that promise, it’s important to understand life insurance company ratings. Look at it this way, if you buy a permanent or term life insurance policy from a top-rated life insurance company, you probably won’t have to worry about that company having the ability to pay the death benefit. Alternatively, if you buy a policy from a poorly-rated company, that company may not have the assets to pay the full coverage amount.

Here’s how to understand life insurance company ratings…

Every year, financial rating companies (A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch) evaluate life insurance companies’ long-term financial strength by reviewing their financial balance sheets, business profiles and operating performance. The goal is to determine whether a life insurance company is in a secure financial situation or a vulnerable one.

So basically, the more secure a life insurance company is, the more likely it is to pay the death benefit. And the more vulnerable it is, the higher risk it has to default on its payout obligations to its policyholders.

How are they rated? It’s easy. Think about how your homework was graded in school. Financial rating companies use the same system. For example, the best life insurance companies have A+ ratings and the more vulnerable ones have below a B+.

Before you make a long-term financial commitment to a life insurance company, be sure to do your homework. Companies like AccuQuote only represent the best term life insurance companies, so give an agent a call today for a free term life insurance quote.

If you’re a business owner…you need life insurance. Why? Because you need to be prepared for life events that could threaten your business, like the death or disability of a managing partner, key employee, or even you – the business owner.

The good news is that a permanent or term life insurance policy can be structured to fund your business should something devastating happen. How does it work? Easy. One of the ways it can be structured is to fund something called a “buy-sell” agreement. This is an agreement among owners to buy a deceased owner’s share of the business at a previously agreed upon price in the event of death, disability or retirement.

Why are these agreements so important? Because the fact is, your family may not have the money, skills or even desire for the job, and your co-owners may not want to hir a newcomer to the business. With a properly structured and funded buy-sell agreement, your business partners won’t have to scramble to come up with the money to buy out your share of the business and your survivors will be compensated fairly and promptly.

Buy-sell agreements are typically funded by life insurance policies purchased on the lives of each business owner. The amount is usually specified in a contract created with the help of an attorney. You can enter into a buy-sell agreement at any time, but it often makes sense to do so when a business is formed or when new owners are brought into the business. It’s important to review the contract regularly since business values can fluctuate so often.

Business owners can also insure against the risk of becoming disabled and unable to work. In this case, disability income buyout insurance would fund the buy-sell agreement, allowing the disabled owners to be bought out, typically after a one-year waiting period.

For more information on buy-sell agreements, check out the LIFE Foundation.

Get a free term life insurance quote at AccuQuote.com while term life rates are still near historic lows!