protection – JamesACox.com

protection, retirement, risk management, Taxes

Strategies to Help Avoid Running Out of Money in Retirement

July 19, 2022July 19, 2022 James Cox

A recent study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that “many younger baby boomers and members of subsequent generations who don’t have access to a traditional pension could outlive the funds in their 401(k) accounts.” (1)

In the 1980s 401k plans began to replace pension plans in the workplace. Workers became responsible for accumulating their own retirement savings. Of workers born in 1947, 52% had pensions. By comparison workers born only 10 years later, only 21% had pensions.

The study compared retiree spending for people who had pensions and those who only had a 401k. They found that “retirees with pensions often didn’t spend their savings at all. In fact, many saw their nest eggs continue to grow after they stopped working.”

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protection

Job Change, Group Life Insurance and Russian Roulette

June 13, 2022July 12, 2022 James Cox

In the United States, there is a huge number of households which are unprotected or under protected by Life Insurance. In a recent LIMRA study 7 in 10 households believe would be in serious financial distress if an adult in the household passed away. (1)

37 million households have no life insurance.
Another 33 million households do not have sufficient life insurance to count themselves as protected.

One vehicle that many people rely upon for protection is Group Life Insurance. When offered as a company benefit, it can inexpensively provide protection for many people… but it only does so while the insured works for the company.

Currently, 1 in 5 people are only covered by Group Life Insurance.

The challenge is that recent employment trends show that people are changing jobs more often than in past years. (2)

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health, protection, risk management

Diet, health, and the financial impact on life insurance

May 10, 2022July 12, 2022 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 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 assigns the insured person a health rating. The better the rating, the lower the premium you pay.

So how much of an impact do health issues have on a person’s ability to afford life insurance?

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charitable giving, protection, Taxes

A beloved relative has passed away and left me an inheritance… What should I do?

March 17, 2022July 12, 2022 James Cox

I have had several clients experience the passing of a beloved family member in the past 6 months. All ages, all walks of life. To a person they struggle with the desire to have their father or spouse or daughter back with them again, and how to move forward without them.

I have lost both of my parents; my mother passed away at 42 from lung cancer. I know the pain they suffer. Looking back, her illness and death really hurt my father and younger brother financially. She didn’t have life insurance. Due to the illness many of the family’s assets were exhausted. My father and brother did the best that they could do, but it was a difficult journey.

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protection, retirement, risk management

How to Deal with Being Laid Off: 5 Strategies To Prepare For Job Change

February 25, 2022July 12, 2022 James Cox

Each day we read reports that the economy is booming.

“U.S. housing and consumer are strong” (1)

“Factory output is poised to speed up.”

“Stronger global growth expectations and a weaker dollar should help.”

“The stock market hits record highs…”

With that being the case, you might find it surprising that several large corporations have recently announced they will be laying off large numbers of employees, especially managers. (2)

Companies which are facing an increasingly tough business environment are being forced to “slash costs and stabilize”. (3) Some companies find themselves at a disadvantage because of the move away from fossil fuels. (4) Some companies have failed to innovate in order to remain competitive. Some companies have to carry legacy costs that newer competitors, especially those in the technology or e-commerce space do not have. Many companies are struggling to keep up with commodity and wage costs that are rising with inflation.

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disability, health, protection, risk management

Deaths of Despair

December 6, 2021July 12, 2022 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. (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 insecurity, and death rates in the United States. The information is sobering and should be the focus of policy changes at all levels of government.

A recent study by Princeton Professors Anne Case and Angus Deaton titled, “Mortality and morbidity in the 21^st century,” shows the connection between the rising mortality rates of the middle class in the US and “a measurable deterioration in economic and social wellbeing”. (2)

This deterioration has not suddenly developed. Rather, “Case and Deaton document an accumulation of pain, distress, and social dysfunction in the lives of working class whites that took hold as the blue-collar economic heyday of the early 1970s ended, and continued through the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent slow recovery.”

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protection, retirement, risk management

Closing the Retirement Savings Gap

December 2, 2021July 12, 2022 James Cox

A new report from World Economic Forum shows that retirees could outlive their savings by a decade or more due to higher life expectancy. “Women should prepare to bear the brunt of such shortfalls, going without retirement savings for at least two years longer than their male counterparts.” (3)

“The size of the gap is such that it requires action,’ says report co-author Han Yik. (1)

The report shows men in the US have a retirement savings gap of 8.3 years. The report shows that women in the US have an average 10.9 year gap between what they have saved and what they will require due to increased longevity.

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protection, risk management

The Risk To Your Child’s Future

November 26, 2021July 12, 2022 James Cox

Loss of a parent shatters the life of a child. Period.

Loss of a parent’s love.
Loss of a guide through life’s challenges.
Loss of protection and security.

These are losses that are beyond measure and replacement. But the truth is these losses can be worsened by the financial impact that comes from a lack of planning and losing a parent.

7 in 10 of all households said they would have trouble covering everyday living expenses after several months if the primary wage earner died. (1)

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health, protection, retirement, risk management

5 Tips to Make Your Retirement Savings Last

November 17, 2021July 12, 2022 James Cox

The statistics are troubling…
10,000 Americans begin their retirement every day.

The Social Security Administration has said the SS Trust Fund will become exhausted by 2035, unless benefits are reduced, the retirement age is raised, or other solutions are put into action. (1)

76% of Baby Boomers are not confident they have saved enough for retirement. (2)

One third of retirees retire with mortgage debt. (2)

Only 18% have more than $200,000 saved. (2)

56% have less than $10,000 saved. (2)

Women live substantially longer than men and yet have much less saved for retirement. (3)

About 25% of non-retired adults have no retirement savings (4)

Many Americans have experienced reductions in pay and not been able to save as much as they would have liked since the Great Recession of 2008/2009. (5)

In addition, the Great Recession resulted in many workers in their 50s and 60s getting laid off, not being able to find comparable employment and choosing early retirement.

55% of seniors working during retirement say they do so because they need extra money. (4)

It’s not an optimal situation for many people. Adding to the stress on finances is the fact that people are living longer.

So, the question is how can we improve our retirement situation with the resources we have at our disposal?
Listed below are 5 strategies you can implement today to make the most of your retirement savings…

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health, protection, risk management

How will your family survive?

October 12, 2021July 12, 2022 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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