Thought for the day:

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.              Bertrand Russell

If you will read no further:

LTCi PREMIUMS INCREASING FOR WOMEN

In two weeks, the major LTCi carriers will be increasing the rates for women by an average of 24% for long-term care insurance.  (Called gender-based pricing) If you have clients still considering whether or not to buy a policy, I suggest you encourage them to get an application going this week.  Just call us and we will arrange to take the application for you.

Thoughts for the week:

Then there was the 71-year-old client who bought a new REIT that would pay 6% dividends until it was closed out when (he was told) his share price value would probably increase from $10 to $12-$15.  Very safe because all the properties are leasebacks to major “essential” businesses that will not falter in hard times (example: Drug stores and supermarkets).  No matter that in the sales literature it mentions the high level of risk and debt associated with this investment.

But hey, he is getting 6% income to spend or to further grow his estate; instead of only 3% that a  fixed annuity would yield.  With a bank rate of 1% I can triple the client’s results with no risk.  Or double that result with a REIT but with “substantial risk”.

If its income he needs, the annuity would provide (tax-advantaged) around 7%, with virtually no risk.  I’m not suggesting that he only buy annuities for income.  I am suggesting that the clients who trust you to provide them with income for the rest of their life probably should not be buying REITS or other alternative investments until their  basic required income has been secured in a portfolio that contains an annuity or two.

Probably a Waste of time…but fun.

NO WONDER MAYOR BLOOMBERG WANTS TO REDUCE DRINK SIZES.

Sugar-sweetened beverages may be to blame for about 180,000 deaths worldwide each year, according to a report by the American Heart Association. FULL STORY » – Rachel Landen

My analysis: Speaking of wasting time…….

180,000 deaths worldwide from sugary drinks.  The world population is 7.1billion and according to the article 80%  or 144,000 of the deaths are in low-income or developing countries; leaving 36,000 for the rest of the world which would be 1.42billion people. The US has 315million or 22% (half of which drink diet soft drinks =11%) and New York city is 8 million…8,000,000÷315million or 2.5% of the US share .  So .025x .11 =.000275% x 180,000= 49.5 people may have died last year from sugary soft drink consumption in New York City vs. 366.7 pedestrians killed by cars and buses….only 1 of whom drank sugary soft drinks (I made that part up).