Using Analogies to Explain Life Insurance Options
Do you have trouble understanding life insurance? You’re not alone. Multiple research studies have found that today’s complex insurance plans, with intricate cost calculations and complicated legal language, cause problems for policyholders who want to understand and have more control over their policies. One way to understand difficult life insurance concepts is by comparing them...
When Would I Need More Than One Life Insurance Policy?
Life could be so much simpler if we just needed one of everything. Why do we need more than one shirt, credit card, television, airline company, or burger place? Is it necessary to have more than one of anything? If everything stays frozen in time, one life policy will work just fine. If you take...
Life Insurance Can Still Be Affordable Even If You Have Chronic Pain
I know a thing or two about pain. Every once in a while, I get a flare-up of an old injury. Are you a sufferer too? You’re already going through enough if you have constant pain; your life insurance rate shouldn’t be a headache too. Stratus Financial Partners wants to debunk the myth that chronic...
The Biggest Misunderstanding When Evaluating Life Insurance Policies
When it comes to life insurance, the word “guarantee” may have different meanings. The first question that should be asked? “Is the guarantee conditional or unconditional?” Here’s why: Problem There’s hardly ever a problem when a policy has unconditional guarantees. “If you pay this premium, we will pay this death benefit to your age 120”...
Jack and Diane Teach Us Why Our Trust and Life Insurance Policies Deserve a Check-Up
Jack and Diane have done well together, and now they’re grandparents. Life is good. They are all set—except for that “oops” lurking in their trust that they aren’t aware of. After the first grandchild was born in 2002, Diane nudged Jack to have their Will reviewed. For good reason, the attorney recommended they create a...
Three Reasons You’ll Benefit From An Independent Policy Review
When it comes to life insurance, clarity isn’t always the first word that comes to mind. Without asking a specialist to take a closer look, you may be missing out on a lot of the coverage you thought you paid for. Here are three reasons why you could benefit from an independent policy review: Beneficiary...
A Pragmatic Response to the Need for Long Term Care Coverage
Kurt is a 64-year-old widower. Comfortably retired, he likes to go the gym and play a lot of golf. His financial advisor is confident Kurt’s financial situation, while not unlimited, will allow him to do that for the rest of his life. Except for one thing; Kurt doesn’t have enough resources to protect him from...
Stratus Case Study: Avoiding Financial Surprises
Background: A recent UBS study found that 56% of widows experience a financial surprise at the death of their spouse. Additionally, a widow can expect an average 37% decline in income – money that won’t be there to maintain their standard of living. Many times, those bad outcomes result from the absence of a good...
Prepare Your Family to Put Your Life Insurance Money to the Best Use
If you’ve secured a solid life insurance policy, we commend you for making the necessary arrangements to secure your family’s financial future. If you’ve already had a policy review performed by an expert to work out any kinks or changes in your plan, you’re most definitely on the right track. Now, we want to make...
Stratus Case Study: Anticipating Pitfalls
Background: I recently attended an Estate Planning Council meeting. The program was based around case studies. They throw out a scenario; and have an interdisciplinary discussion about how to deal with all the ensuing pitfalls. The Problem: Upon reflection, it occurred to me that a majority of the people in the room make a living...