health – JamesACox.com

health, life insurance, protection, risk management

How will your family survive?

October 12, 2021 James Cox

My cousin died from a heart attack two years ago.

He was 48 years old. He left behind a wife and two teenage children. Their plans for the future were shattered and his family is left to pick up the pieces.

My son was born when I was 30 years old. Honestly, I didn’t get life insurance until I was 36. I had never been taught the importance of using Life Insurance to help manage risk and protect your family. Recent studies show that I’m not alone. There is a huge gap in the level of financial literacy in the United States.

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disability, health, life insurance, protection, risk management

A few life lessons…

October 1, 2021October 1, 2021 James Cox

In the past few months I have seen several friends pass away…

I have seen several people in my circle struggle with illness, addiction and disability…

All are under the age of 50. None of them planned on what happened to them.

None of them planned on the impact it would have on those around them.
Life is not a straight line.
We all are forced to deal with situations that are beyond our control.

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economy, health, income, risk management

New Employment Realities As Recession Risks Rise

August 23, 2021August 23, 2021 James Cox

“I’VE BEEN LET GO…”

It’s a terrifying experience… being fired or laid off from a job you have done well for a number of years. It seems daily that you see headlines focused on labor, hiring, and the shortage of trained help.

While the monthly jobs numbers are heralded as a sign of a strong economy there are undercurrents of weakness. New weekly unemployment claims continue to run over 375,000. While many businesses are expressing frustration about being unable to find new employees, such an elevated level of layoffs is confusing. (1) For decades more than half of all American’s have little or no savings. In 2020 personal savings rose as people saved much of the money received due to government programs to support the economy through fiscal policy. In 2021 73% of households had saved $1,000 to $5,000. That said, only 5% of households had more than $10,000 in savings. (2) Many companies report a weakening expectation for revenue and growth. The renewed outbreaks of COVID with the Delta variant, no prospect of more fiscal support, and elevated inflation are taking a toll. (3) CEOs are concerned about the effect of oncoming changes in Fed policy and it has caused many companies to delay capital investments and expansion. (4)

Many analysts have already indicated that China is in a recession. Some expect a slowdown or recession in the US within the next 6 to 12 months. Many are looking at the current economic environment and using the term “Stagflation” … a term last used in the 1970s. (5)

With that being the case, it pays to be prepared and understand what unemployment means in this new economic environment.

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health, life insurance, protection, risk management

The Benefits to a Healthy Diet: Quality of Life, Financial Security and Legacy

April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 James Cox

Its no secret that human longevity has been growing due medical advances over the past 30 years. Life expectancy in 1960 was 66 for men and 73 for women; in 2010 the average expectancy was 80 for men and 84 for women. (1)

However, in addition to longevity, one of the issues people have struggled with is a decreased quality of life in a person’s later years. Chronic diseases play a major role in limiting peoples experience and inflicting pain on the elderly and their families… cancer, strokes, dementia, respiratory, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s.

These issues not only reduce a person’s enjoyment of life but affect their financial health as well. The expenses associated with medical care and long-term care are substantial. But baby-boomers are not sitting still…

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economy, entrepreneurship, health, key man insurance, life insurance, protection, risk management

Protecting your business, and your legacy

December 29, 2020December 29, 2020 James Cox

Most business owners, CEOs and executives are laser focused on driving their business or enterprise towards success. They are responsible for preserving and expanding sales and revenue. They are responsible for hiring and firing. They are responsible to investors and stakeholders to manage risk and ensure success. They handle client relationships, research and development, marketing and IT… As leaders they wear many hats and carry a lot of weight on their shoulders.

But what happens when a CEO or leader within a company passes away? What is the impact on the business and the employees who depend on that business for their livelihood?

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health, life insurance, protection, risk management

Protecting Your Family’s Financial Future in an Age of COVID

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020 James Cox

As of August 5^th, 2020 COVID-19 has claimed 156,311 American lives. (1)

In a story that is far too common in 2020, a Las Vegas news station reported that a husband and father recently passed away from COVID-19. He was 42 years old and “the picture of good health.” (2)

“He was furloughed from his job so he didn’t have health or life insurance and now medical bills are mounting for his wife and her three young daughters.”

“Nobody ever anticipates that someone is going to pass at 42 years old so honestly when he was laid off, it never crossed my mind that oh my gosh we’re losing our life insurance,”

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Climate change, economy, environment, health, new economy, retirement, risk management, Socially Responsible Investing

How Will COVID19 Potentially Affect the Climate Change Debate?

April 21, 2020April 21, 2020 James Cox

As the severity of the COVID19 pandemic became clear to leaders in China in early 2020, the CCP announced the quarantine of over 800 million people and effectively closed down the economy of China. One of the effects of this shutdown was a dramatic drop in carbon emissions and air pollution.

Paul Monks, professor of air pollution at the University of Leicester, predicted there will be important lessons to learn. “We are now, inadvertently, conducting the largest-scale experiment ever seen,” he said. “Are we looking at what we might see in the future if we can move to a low-carbon economy? Not to denigrate the loss of life, but this might give us some hope from something terrible. To see what can be achieved.” (1)

“What I think will come out of this is a realization – because we are forced to – that there is considerable potential to change working practices and lifestyles. This challenges us in the future to think, do we really need to drive our car there or burn fuel for that,” said Monk.

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health, life insurance, protection, risk management

Diet, health, and the financial impact on life insurance

March 22, 2020March 22, 2020 James Cox

The purpose of life insurance is to manage risk. Individuals and families need protection in the event a primary bread winner passes away.

Several factors drive what life insurance costs for an individual. Women tend to live longer, so their cost for life insurance is lower than it is for men. The healthier a person is, the less expensive it is for them to obtain life insurance. People who smoke pay significantly more for life insurance.

Each person’s health situation is unique. Part of the process of obtaining life insurance is to collect medical samples for testing. The underwriter also reviews records from your doctors over the past 5 years. They also examine driving records.

Once all of the information is collected the underwriter evaluates the data at hand and assign the insured person a health rating. The better the rating, the lower the premium.

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disability, health, protection, risk management

Deaths of Despair

February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 James Cox

In recent months companies at the center of the Opioid Crisis have been fighting in court about the roles they played in the epidemic that has affected millions of Americans. The over prescription of highly addictive drugs has had severe impacts on families, businesses, and the economy as a whole. (1) But the Opioid Crisis is only part of a much larger problem facing American Society.

In March of 2017 a landmark study was released connecting opioid abuse, financial security and death rates in the United States. The information is sobering and should be the focus of policy changes at all levels of government.

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disability, economy, health, life insurance, protection, retirement, risk management

Women and Financial Security

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 James Cox

In 2018, the government of Iceland passed a law making it illegal to pay women less than men. (1)

According to a World Economic Forum report, “At the current pace, gender gaps can potentially be closed in 54 years in Western Europe… and in 151 years in North America (reflecting lack of progress in the region this year).” (2)

A recent study by Economic Policy Institute found that women earn 74 cents for every $1 earned by a man with similar education and experience. This wage gap has always existed and is disturbing in a society founded upon equality and justice. (3)

This wage gap has important implications for women and their financial security, especially during retirement.

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