14 SepUnemployment Protection Beyond State Insurance

Job loss protection

The unemployment rate is projected to rise in the coming year.  We have not yet seen the bottom of the hill we are sliding down.  With mass layoffs at large companies, and smaller layoffs with small local businesses, no one is certain of their employment. 

                  

There is something that you can do to personally prepare for the event that you will become unemployed in the future.  Just about everyone has some sort of insurance, whether it is life insurance, health insurance, mortgage protection insurance, critical illness insurance or auto insurance.  We all like to be protected from the unexpected or traumatic things in life.  Why is it that most people don’t have protection from unemployment?  Each State has an unemployment insurance most employees qualify for in the event of a period of unemployment, but the benefits are far from adequate to maintain your finances while you search for a new job.  The average unemployment check is only about $300 a week, and the average length of unemployment is about 16.5 weeks. 

Keep your family and your finances protected from unemployment with an unemployment protection plan.  Most plans pay a cash benefit to the member of between $1000 and $2000 per month of unemployment.  This is in addition to the state unemployment benefit that you qualify for.  Supplemental unemployment insurance can give you the cash that you need to pay whatever you see fit, from your mortgage to gas and groceries.  Look for a plan that pays you directly, and not something that just protects and pays your lenders as most plans do. 

For more information about Unemployment Insurance and protecting yourself financially from a job loss visit The Salary Guard at http://www.TheSalaryGuard.com.

Nathan Evans
The Salary Guard
Helping families prepare financially for a job loss and unemployment.
http://www.thesalaryguard.com

21 AprPersonalized Gifts is a Great Gift Idea

Personalized items are so special for anyone or any occasion. Children and adults both really get excited over a gift with a personalization on it for them.

There are so many occasions to use a personalized item, besides the normal ones of birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. What about baptisms, memorials, second marriages, graduations, new job, new business, new baby, heading off to college, a baseball team, a remodeled room in your home, or a new home….you can always find a reason to give a really special gift. And there are gifts for all these different occasions. How unique to give a gift especially personalized for whatever occasion you feel is important.

Of course you always want to be sure of correct spellings and dates when buying a personalized gift. Be sure it is appropriate for the occasion. Be sure it is made of good quality materials so it can be used for years to come, i.e. a unity candle lit on every anniversary.

You can buy candles engraved for every occasion, tote bags embroidered with names, pocket tools for men or women, business card cases, new baby gifts with names and date of birth. How about silver plated compact mirrors, gifts for the golfer or the smoker or that one person in the group who loves to be the bartender.

Use your imagination. Make it different. Make it a quality keepsake and a wonderful idea. Make it personalized.

22 FebFinancial Security Planning in Uncertain Job Climates

Job loss protection


t matter if layoffs are at an all time high or your job seems secure, everyone knows how fast things can change. Loss of income occurs from layoffs and other circumstances changing. There are both expected and unexpected changes in finances that should be planned for to assure financial security.

We can predict some financial changes. Circumstances that can be planned for include the birth of a child, caring for elderly parents, college planning, medical procedures, and even divorce.

Some changes in finances are unexpected and there is no time to plan for them. Maybe you have experienced some circumstances that cannot be planned for like a sudden layoff, reduced work hours, illness, injury, death, car repairs, or large applicance repairs,

Some people are great with money and have enough in savings and investments to cover an extended period of time with no income or reduced income. They are confident that with their resume if their company started to layoff employees, their resume is strong and they will find a job quickly. Things don’t always go as planned. Savings and investments can be drained by the time a new job is found. Job loss mortgage protection can help people keep bills current. Most unemployed people will find a job before their unemployment mortgage insurance is depleted. For the few that don’t or must accept a job temporarily that pays less than their previous job, unemployment mortgage insurance allows for them to still have savings and investments to fall back on if needed.

You do not want to risk using up your savings during a layoff because you will not be prepared for other emergencies. There is no guarantee that a layoff will be the only financial trouble that a person must face. Sadly some people who are laid off may also face illness, injury, and car repairs. If the savings and investments have been being used during a layoff, there may be no funds available for other financial circumstances that may arise. Financial security during a layoff will depend on the balanced use of both unemployment mortgage insurance and savings.

You cannot stop saving just because you have some layoff protection. Savings should continue. A general rule of thumb is to be able to save the equivalent of 3-6 months’ expenses in a savings account that is easily accessed. Once that has been accomplished, the savings account can be added to for a “cushion” and then the money that was budgeted to savings can be used to invest.

Even if you have cash coming in, you may want to take a termporary job so you still have some income coming in and do not deplete your savings accounts. During a layoff, volunteering can be an opportunity to gain new experience that may be helpful if a change in the field that you normally work in is being considered.

Solid financial security will depend on the combination of several sources being available when there is a change in income.



Consider mortgage layoff protection to keep your bills current if you are laid off. Job loss insurance pays you cash in your are laid off.

07 FebPersonalized Gifts and Keepsakes

One of the best aspects about gift giving is knowing that when you give a gift to someone, you are really giving them something that they can cherish for years to come. Finding gifts that are considered treasured keepsakes might seem like a daunting task, but in reality when you consider the idea of a personalized gift, it can be easier than you think.

A keepsake is an item that someone saves for years and years. It usually is not something that is used every day, but rather something that is saved for more special occasions. Often, if a keepsake carries enough emotional attachment to it, the receiver will then pass it on to their children and loved ones so that it may remain in the family for decades. Therefore, finding personalized gifts that can also be keepsakes is a great way to make an entire family content.

Personalized gifts and keepsakes should be items that speak directly to the person getting the gift. They should be items that the person adores, and things that can carry emotional attachment. Overall, personalized keepsakes should be items that the recipient will cherish and want to keep forever. When you look at personalized gifts that are also keepsakes, you will find that they are the gifts that get the best reaction as well as the biggest thank you!

There are several tricks to finding the best and most memorable personalized gifts and keepsakes. The first thing that you will want to do is think about what is going on in the life of the person you are buying the gift for. Try to figure out what is going on with them that can be illustrated in a personalized gift. For example, if they are having a baby, getting married, or just received a new job, you already know that this time in their life is very special to them.

Therefore, the first way to find a personalized keepsake gift is to look at what is going on in their life, and see if you can commemorate it in a way that will make them smile. For instance, you might want to get them a personalized picture frame for the picture of their newborn baby or wedding day. This is a very good idea also for someone who has just graduated or started a new career. Personalized photo albums can have the same great effect as a picture frame.  It is with these items that the recipient can record the moments that they are living through, and make sure that those moments can be captured in time forever. Another great idea can be personalizing a knick knack that can be placed on a shelf or cabinet for the recipient to walk past every day.

Another option when trying to find a great personalized keepsake gift is to give them something that they will keep forever, even if it does not correspond to something currently going on in their lives. When you are looking at this type of gift, you have many options. You could first go with something that is lovely, interesting, and can be put on a shelf and admired every day.  This might include a gift such as a beautiful clock that has an inscription on it, or a set of personalized wind chimes. You also might find that many of the frames, knick knacks, and other items that can be personalized can also make great keepsake gifts.

The trick to giving wonderful personalized gifts that will become keepsakes is to make sure that you are giving items that are a number of things. You first want to make sure that the items are meaningful. For instance, giving a small golf statue to someone that does not play golf is not a good way ensure that their gift will be a keepsake. You also want to make sure that the gift you give them is eye-catching and beautiful. You want to keep in mind the particular style and way the home is laid out of the recipient.  If you know for a fact that they do not like knick knacks in general, it might not be a good idea to get them one as a gift, even if it is personalized. Lastly, you want to make sure that the gift you get captures an moment that they hold dear. Whether it is a moment such as their wedding, or the birth of their child, or even an quote about life that they live by, you want to make sure you get them something agree with. If you can find a great personalized gift that encompasses all of these things, you will have found the perfect gift for any family.