buhvdesigns

Most people understand the concept of insurance. People pay a premium to an insurance company for the protection against a potentially catastrophic financial loss. Insurance companies are able to make money by pooling policyholders’ risks and charging a premium based on actuarial estimates.

The most common types of insurance policies are life insurance, disability insurance, and homeowners and auto insurance. But what happens when you want to insure something outside of the norm, say a personal item such as a laptop or expensive piece of jewelry? More and more, technology is starting to act as a disruptive force in the insurance industry that makes obtaining custom insurance more efficient for consumers.

There is a host of startup insurance firms that now allow you to quickly and easily insure single items, for varying periods of time. According to KPMG, this budding industry, nicknamed “Insurtech”, gathered over $1.7 billion from Venture Capital firms in 2016. One of the most popular companies, called Trov, is entirely app based. It got its start in Australia and the U.K., and recently made its way to the States. It can be very convenient if you want to insure an item for a specific period of time. For example, if you are going on a cross-country road trip with the family and you were worried about losing or damaging an expensive camera, all you’d have to do is send a picture of the camera to the app, tell them how long you want it insured, and you will receive a quote instantly.

Another on-demand insurance company is called Sure. It’s very similar to Trov, but you can also purchase baggage protection when traveling, rental car insurance, and insurance on your pet. As these on-demand and custom insurance companies start to mature, it will be interesting to see what other technological advancements will develop that will aim to make our lives easier as consumers.

This year, Federal open enrollment runs from Monday, November 12, 2018 – Monday, December 10, 2018 and it may be a good time for individuals and families to review and make changes to their health insurance coverage. Even if you have been covered under an employer-sponsored plan for many years and are not planning to make any changes, this year it might be time to consider opening a health savings account, also known as an HSA. To be eligible for an HSA you cannot be enrolled in Medicare and must have a high deductible health plan. For 2018 that means you have a deductible of at least $1,350 for individuals and $2,700 for families where the maximum out of pocket cannot exceed $6,650 for single coverage and $13,300 for family coverage.

HSAs are triple tax advantaged accounts offered through employers and some banks and financial institutions as a way for individuals and families to save for health care expenses as they would save for their retirement. Contributions made to the account are tax deductible regardless of income level. If you invest the funds, any growth is tax deferred and distributions are tax-free when withdrawn for qualified health expenses. Unlike a Flexible Spending Account, you do not have to use the funds you contribute by the end of each year. The balance rolls over year by year and if you are able to cover your current medical expenses through cash flow, the funds can be maintained in the account for future needs.

The IRS adjusts contribution limits to an HSA each year and for 2018 they are set to $3,450 for individuals and $6,900 for families, with a $1,000 catch up contribution if you are 55 or older during the year. While you cannot use HSA funds to pay your health insurance premiums, you can use the funds to pay Medicare premiums once enrolled. If funds are withdrawn for non-medical expenses, there is a 20% penalty until age 65. After age 65, funds can be used for any expense but are subject to taxes if not medically related.

When a loved one passes away, there are so many things to do in the midst of grief. The last thing on a grieving mind is the risk of identity theft of the person who has recently passed away. Sadly, hackers have reached a new low by taking advantage of such a sorrowful time.

Identity theft hackers have been using information from hospitals and obituaries to steal a deceased person’s identity and file a fraudulent tax return. According to an AARP article, “With a name, address and birth date in hand, they can illicitly purchase the person’s Social Security number on the Internet for as little as $10.”

The term for this ugly practice is commonly referred to as “ghosting” because it can take six months for financial institutions, credit-reporting bureaus, and the Social Security Administration to register death records. This gives the “ghosting” hackers plenty of time to cause a lot of damage. Thankfully, the surviving family members are not necessarily responsible for the financial destruction.

To make it even worse, an article from ABC News warns of a “disturbing pattern of identity theft of financial information belonging to people who were dying. It’s easy to see how that could happen, since people who are gravely ill can easily lose track of the details of their finances.” Therefore, it is always important to help protect the identity of a loved one, especially one who is ill as well as the recently deceased.

For many people, their 40s and 50s are still a period of financial transition. Some people are opening their own businesses while others are considering retirement. No matter where you are at this point in your life, it is likely that you still have some financial goals to work toward. These tips may help you work towards a brighter and more financially secure future.

Pay into Retirement

If you have an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, we suggest creating a goal to contribute the maximum amount allowed based on the IRS limits ($18,500 in 2018). Alternatively, if you own a business and don’t have a 401(k) through an employer, you can may be able to set up your own retirement plan to contribute with tax-deferred funds.

While you are adding money to your savings regularly, also make sure to project your savings, ensuring you are on the right track. If you feel like you’re off track and you’re over the age of 50, you can contribute an additional $1,000 to your IRA and $6,000 to your 401(k) to help catch up.

Monitor Stocks and Bonds

It is important to keep your stock/bond allocation near it target design and may require periodic rebalancing of the account. This is something you should discuss with your Financial Advisor.