About Me

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Boise, Idaho
Chris’s career in financial services began over 20 years ago as a financial adviser. Focusing on helping small business owners and families to establish and implement retirement saving-distribution, wealth transfer, and asset protection strategies where he won industry and company awards for production and client satisfaction. You can visit my Health Insurance, Medicare & Life Insurance website here at https://www.goidahoinsurance.com/ My Home Insurance Boise Website. My Idaho Workers Compensation Insurance website. Here is my newest insurance website Washington Earthquake & Flood Insurance Areas of specialization include Health, Medicare, Life, Long Term Care, Annuities, Business, Auto & Home Insurance.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

4 Ways to Saving Money

Saving is basically putting aside money or a way to utilize your present income for a future lifestyle. We need to budget a set amount each week to meet our goals.

We save for several reasons such as for a college education, buying a new car, for a new TV set you wish to buy in three to four months time, for a down payment on a home, or to provide for yourself when retirement comes around.

As much as there are several reasons for saving, there are likewise many methods in which we can save. In most instances, the best method can be determined by whatever plans you have for the future.

1.    Savings accounts. When saving for just a short period or for emergency purposes, consider opening a savings account passbook, as it is with this method that you can easily gain access to your funds.

Great for both long and short term savings, you can deposit and withdraw money to your account and earn interest, based on your average daily balance. A minimum balance is required to be maintained though, and you are charged with a penalty should you fail to maintain it.

2.    Checking account with interest.  Here you can benefit from checking account conveniences, while your deposits gain interests. Generally these types of accounts grants privileges such as limitless withdrawal and check writing, access to ATM and bill payments that can be done online.

This method typically requires a daily maintaining balance of at least $2,000.

3.    Money market insured accounts. For long-termed goals, this method is ideal, as it generally offers a much higher rate of interest compared to a regular or standard savings account.

The interest rate usually is dependent on the amount of money in your bank account; larger balance means higher interest.

4.    “CD” or Certificates of Deposit.  This is a savings method requiring you to “lend” your money to your financial agency for a certain time frame, usually ranging from thirty days up to five years. Here, the longer the time span again, means higher interest.

Keep in mind that usually insurance companies offer better deals on interests compared to banks, so before you invest, compare rates first!

At certain times, when your goal is many years away, it can be a wiser decision to save money in a certain way that you are not drawn on using it other than the main reason for saving it. Deciding on the right financial agency such as a bank, credit union or insurance firm can bring about a lot of benefit in your finances.

Substandard Impaired Risk Life Insurance

Substandard Impaired Risk Life Insurance

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Tips for getting the best term life insurance rates!

Term Life Insurance is by far the least expensive form or type of life insurance that you can currently purchase. Term Life premiums have really come down over the past few years due to a number of reasons that all work for the benefit of the insured.

So how do you buy a term life insurance policy? I'm talking about the absolute best priced, best carrier with the best plan options. The best place to start is definitely with a really good and experienced broker or agent. Brokers are agents but they have access to as many carriers as they want to get appointed with. An agent can be a broker or work for one company specifically, so be careful ask whoever you are working with if they can write with multiple carriers. By doing this you have given yourself and edge and big advantage to locating the best term carrier with the cheapest rates.

Now that you have a good life insurance broker and he has quoted you multiple carriers have him sift through typically the top five for the cheapest rates. Now its time you start asking your broker some questions. Number one which carrier is the strongest financially? This is extremely important you want a carrier that you know will be there when it is time to pay a death claim. Second who has the best underwriting, not all carriers are the same. Just because xyz has the cheapest rates you may never get them because they are so stingy in underwriting. Last but not least the company you choose should have really good permanent life plans that allow you to convert to with no evidence of insurability.

This is very important especially if you have a serious health issue and would be considered no longer insurable or highly rated. Please do your research that the permanent type of plans are very good plans with the best companies that are available.

Those are the big issues to watch out for in your search for the best term life insurance policy for you and your family.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Smokers still are discriminated against for Life Insurance, But Chewers arent!

Life Insurance for people who chew or use snuff!

You might not have know that the major life insurance carriers over the past few years have eased the underwriting restrictions quite a bit on insureds who use alternate tobacco. The carriers have decided that cigarettes have a much higher effect on your mortality over chew, cigars or pipes.

What this means to you is that it is possible to find truly affordable life insurance coverage for chewers, Term and or Permanent Life Insurance coverage that wont break the bank. Chewers are now able to apply for and obtain coverage from top rated carriers at rates that are not even considered tobacco rates. Savings can be tremendous if you can obtain a non tobacco rate class.

Some of the top companies that offer these types of plans and their rate classes at this time:

  • AIG may offer at this time Preferred Smoker
  • AXA may offer at this time Preferred Tobacco
  • ING-Reliastar may offer at this time Preferred Smoker
  • John Hancock may offer at this time Standard-Non Tobacco
  • Lincoln may offer at this time Standard-Non
  • Principal may offer at this time Preferred Tobacco
  • Prudential may offer at this time Non-Smoker Plus
  • Transamerica may offer at this time Preferred Smoker


Of course these rate classes are subject to change at any time so please check with your agent or broker for the most up to date rates and quotes.

The best approach when a chewer or alternate tobacco user is looking for quality affordable and in some cases cheap term life insurance coverage is to either contact your agent or go online and do a search. You can use your current agent just make sure they are not a captive or career agent with no access to outside brokerage. The great thing about brokerage agencies is that they have up to minute access to the carriers that offer the best quote and rates. Career Agents mostly represent only one company and they are typically much more expensive with there tobacco rate classes.

One of the best Term Life Insurance Companies that offers great tobacco rates is Prudential they happen to be one of our favorite carriers when in regards to getting affordable coverage. Over the past few years they have been at the fore front of offering awesome rates for chewers and pipe smokers. It may be well worth your time to get a quote from them.

Don't lie on your application the company will find out if you use tobacco from a urine sample they obtain from your paramedical exam. If you don't disclose your tobacco use the carrier could reject your application.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Insurance for Long Term Care

If you think that you won't qualify for Medicaid or full Medicare benefits due to large savings, assets or a high income, then long term care insurance could be the program for you. You don't want to end up relying on your children to help pay for these expenses.

With long term care insurance it will at least enable you to leave your loved ones a little something instead of sucking all your assets dry. Another plus is that if you can afford to pay the premiums you probably won't qualify for assistance so would truly benefit. If you currently have chronic health issues or have a family history of a long-term illness you would be far better off purchasing now rather than waiting. It will be too late to get an insurance policy after you have already developed a long-term illness or disability.

Should you at any point think that you might fall into any of these categories you might want to consider getting a plan earlier to be safe and covered. Most large insurance companies offer long term care insurance policies. As always, every state has different insurance regulations, therefore it is best to check with your state on specific determining factors and qualifications.

Long-Term Care Insurance is still fairly new on the market and many people don’t even know that it exists or what it covers. Even those who have heard the term don’t always know when benefits are paid, how they are designed, and who qualifies or needs coverage. Many people wait till they are past retirement age and closer to needing benefits before thinking about this type of insurance, by which time it is too late to get a great rate and qualify for higher benefits.

You need to start thinking of investing earlier in order to maximise your options. Nowadays it is becoming more common for people to start thinking about what will happen 30, 50, or more years ahead. Many people invest in 401Ks, IRAs, stocks and bonds, and other types of investments to prepare for the future thinking that this will pay for future living expenses and leisure activities once retired. Unfortunately things don’t always go according to plan.

Picture the following scenarios.

1. You have an accident and need day to day help getting about your daily activities. Who's going to pay for that?

2. As you get older you require home help. You may decide you would rather live in your own home for as long as possible and therefore you would need to have enough money to pay for personal home care.

3. Some seniors enjoy assisting living facilities that provide 24 hour nursing care, but still let you be as independent as you can.

4. Then there are those instances where nursing home facilities are needed to tend to varying degrees of illness.

5. You may need long-term care to provide help due to a long-term illness or disability.

The average cost of these types of care can vary in cost from around $40-$100 thousand per year and sometimes more. This will very quickly eat into your savings and social security benefits. If you think Medicaid or Medicare will help, think again. Even if and when you qualify, your savings are now gone and they will only pay up to 50% of the cost, therefore someone has to come up with the rest. Long-Term Care insurance can help with these costs in the unfortunate event that you require nursing care.

This coverage will help provide nursing home care, home-health care, personal or adult day care usually for individuals above the age of 65 or those with a chronic or disabling condition that needs constant supervision. All of these types of long term care can be very expensive, that's why most people need insurance. Long term care insurance offers more flexibility and options than many public assistance programs.

For example, on average facilities that provide skilled nursing care typically charge from $150 to $300 per day, or over $80,000 per year or more. Even custodial home care can cost over $9,000 a year if used three times a week. Most long term care insurance policies will cover only a specific dollar amount for each day you spend in a nursing facility or for each home-care visit. Therefore, when you are thinking about getting an insurance policy, it's essential that you read the policies carefully and compare the benefits to determine which long term care policy will best meet your own needs.

Friday, September 19, 2008

The benefits of having key man life insurance!

Key Man Life Insurance will supply your business with cash when you need it the most? A key man life insurance is exactly what the title says it is, it protects the life or lives of key employees that work for your organization. A Key man also could mean the business owner as well as a valued employee.

This type of policy helps protect the companies owner and the other employees in case of the death of the highly valued employee or owner. Most business owners that are successful have an understanding of planning properly for unforseen circumstances that could affect profitability.

The business buys a term life insurance policy on the life of the key employee or possibly a cash value policy. They pay for the premiums and they are the ultimate beneficiary of the policy. Upon the death of the covered employee the company will receive the death benefit proceeds from the policy. The monies are typically used to offset any decreased revenue, pay bills, hire new and qualified replacements and to fund a benefit for the deceased's family.

How do you know if you need this type of policy or plan to help protect your business?

By answering a few simple questions you should be able to figure out if key man coverage would be a good choice for your business.

  • Could your company withstand the loss of one or more of your key employees from a sudden death or accident?
  • How long and how much would it cost to replace your number one salesperson or sales manager?
  • How would your clients react to the death of the key employee, what if you lost your valued employee to your competition. would the customers that your key person handles follow him or her?


The probability of your company being affected by one of the above factors is very high if you look at statistics.

How does Key Person Insurance help you or the company when the policy is needed? First it can help with interrupted or lost cash flow, loss of clients to a competitor, negative impact on your credit and last but not least provides capital to attract and hire a qualified replacement.

What are the advantages of a Key Man Life Insurance policy? Business gets to select which employees are included in the plan. Life insurance proceeds are distributed income tax free to the business (typically). creditors and customers can feel at ease knowing that the continuity of the business will not be affected. Key Man coverage is as easy as applying for the life insurance policy for underwriting and putting the policy in force.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

How To Get Life Insurance Quotes

If you want to convert your term life insurance into a permanent one, you should consult a financial adviser for their opinion. Bear in mind that you can choose to cancel any life insurance policy that you buy often after a period of ten days if you are dissatisfied with it. A good policy should address all aspects of your life that you want it to.

There is quite a lot you can get if you acquire the right life insurance policy. Some life insurance policies such as the whole life insurance policy entitles you to certain captivating dividends. You can opt for a life insurance that enables you to generate profits that will make your life comfortable in your later years.

Unexpected events may force you to get a life policy. Your daughter may fall sick and in need of money to pay medicals bills. In this case, life insurance can cover the medical bills for treatment.

What kind of life will your love ones be living when you pass away? Will they be able to maintain it or not? The answer to these questions will nudge you in the direction of life insurance… .or not. To get the best of life insurance, you need to be clear about who benefits.

When you understand the vocabulary of life insurance, you reduce your chances of getting scammed. For many people, the confusion they experience over life insurance lies in the gibberish of language related to it. You can clear away the cobwebs of life insurance by reading up a glossary of life insurance on the internet.

In America, life insurance is hardly common because of the implications associated with it. The belief that you might not die young can be very detriment for you when you are not cover by a life insurance, so to speak. Death is a reality that confronts both old and young so you're never too young to buy life insurance.

There could be several reasons for you to get a life insurance policy. Your mortgage payments, your spouse and kids, your business, etc. These are some reasons why people opt for life insurance. Unless you have a good reason to insure your life ; do not do so.

If you are selling life insurance, it's important for you to know that selling life insurance can be a tasking job for insurance agents. To effectively sell life insurance leads, you can start by making sure that your website meets professional standards. A quality website sells life insurance leads pretty fast.

To be told about revealing guide on articles about Life Insurance Companies read Jon Ferriss site.

Tips To Get A Funeral Insurance Plan In Great Britain?

You can never begin your own funeral planning too early, especially if you live in the United Kingdom.  The American penchant to buy a funeral insurance plan while you are in your fifties or sixties is catching on in Great Britain.  Funeral insurance plans (also called funeral life insurance or Funeral Plans) are legal in the UK.  However, unless you plan on dying in the next ten years, you might want to think very carefully about getting a funeral insurance plan.

Too Many Bodies And Not Enough Room

Great Britain is facing an overpopulation problem of epic proportions – and not just with the living.  There is also a tremendous overpopulation of the dead.  There just isn’t any more land available to bury anybody in the traditional way.  According to a 2007 report in "The Times Online", over half of England's cemeteries are filled to bursting.  With 10,000 more people per year demanding to be buried, partially die to a funeral insurance plan, there just isn’t enough room to put all the bodies.

Funeral Insurance Plan - What About Cremation

The option of cremation is still open to the living in planning their dying.  You can even write this in to your funeral insurance plan.  However, you might want to also very explicitly state what to do with your ashes.  James Doohan, the beloved actor who played Scotty on "Star Trek", asked to place his ashes up in a rocket (and it was done).  English ashes are not only being scattered on beloved football grounds and parks, but sent up in fireworks and mixed into the cement of new buildings.

Funeral Insurance Plan In Conclusion


Unless you are filthy rich or are a celebrity and don't want your family to deal with news that your body was vandalized by souvenir-hunting fans, it really isn’t worth it to buy funeral insurance plans.  The laws of how to dispose of the dead in England are changing.  For example, crematoriums are required by law to reduce their carbon gas output in half by 2012.  This means that you might not be allowed to get cremated by yourself or allowed to have things inside of you like pacemakers or mercury fillings before you go up in smoke.

It is thought that even cremation might wind up falling out of favor with the law for environmental reasons.  A process is being developed to dissolve corpses in acid in order to dispose of them.  This is the procedure for getting rid of diseased cattle.  There are a couple of acid machines in England for the purpose of disposing human remains.  It works like a crematorium – only without the fire.