Only proof of income is required for NC Bar Association Members to get up to $4000/month in individual protection. The premiums are fixed and guaranteed to age 67 and the rates are not only discounted for the Association, but they are the same for males and females, which saves women nearly 30%. For those who wish to secure more than $4000/month, we can get other discounts including business owner discounts for those who have their own practice, though any increased amounts are subject to medical review.

The insurance carrier has been very generous by offering this amount of coverage without medical questions but we are told that changes to those limits are coming early in 2012. So, if you have a taxable loss from your group disability insurance provided by your firm, have older ABA coverage that only pays benefits for 5 year and with increasing premiums per age changes, make sure to take advantage of this discount program.

Visit our webpage specific to this program for rates and applications!

www.menshinsurance.com/lawyers

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110606006337/en/Long-Term-Care-Insurance-Gains-Attention-Divorce

A new partnership for Mensh Insurance

I’m happy to share some great news with you: Mensh Insurance recently entered into an exciting new partnership with Lawyers Insurance, the biggest insurers of lawyers in North Carolina (see below). This is a major new venture for our company, and we are certainly grateful for this relationship. We also continue to work with the residents and fellows at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to help them secure their individually owned “true own occupation” disability insurance policies. We’ve enjoyed working with all the young doctors training at Baptist; they’re a great group.

How can we help you?

We continue to maintain our total independence and can bring all of the top term, whole, universal life products, disability insurance and long-term care insurance policies to you, your businesses, or your community or regional associations. Keep us in mind for any future needs, either for yourself or for a friend. We are always just an e-mail, phone call or coffee meeting away!

Individual Disability Insurance Program Highlights:
- Individual Disability Insurance policy with up to $4000/month tax free benefit
- True Own Occupation specific language; ability to earn income doing something else
- Benefits payable to age 67
- Residual benefit rider included
- Full benefit period for mental and nervous claims
- Same rates for males and females (saves all women close to 40%)
- NO MEDICAL QUESTIONS OR EXAMS

These individual policies provide any members of the North Carolina Bar Association with the perfect opportunity to secure additional disability insurance protection, their first policy, or a chance to supplement their existing group/employer provided plan.
For those firms who wish to secure plans for partners or associates, we can design a list billing program while taking advantage of all discounts and guaranteed issue parameters for ease of enrollment.
ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA FOR POLICY ISSUE-
- Must be a member of the North Carolina Bar Association
- Must be under age 67
- Must not have been declined for disability insurance in the last 12 months by any carrier
- Must not have been declined by The Standard EVER BEFORE for disability insurance

All policy design, implementation, and service handled via Partnership with
336-631-5503…www.menshinsurance.com/lawyers

It is important to understand that the way many people go about change is backwards. Most people think if they simply DO something different, they will then HAVE what they want and BEcome a different person. This is often stated as the DO, HAVE, BE mindset. Or, they may feel if they are given something, like money (HAVE), they will be able to DO all the stuff they want and will BEcome a different person. This is the HAVE, DO, BE mindset. Both of these models are wrong. To make a true change, you have to BE the thing you are trying to become right now in the present moment. Then you will automatically DO the things necessary to HAVE what you desire…..BE DO HAVE

This is often confusing. How can you BE something different right now? By studying and learning the habits of athletes and lean fit people, you can master the art of being different. To BE the fit lean person you desire right now, your imagination can be an amazing tool. Imagine what an athlete does or how a fit and lean person behaves. They are not “doing” a program; they are simply living their lives. Use your imagination to see yourself doing all the things you need to be doing. Don’t say “I will” or “I will try”. Say “I am”. See yourself as a lean fit person right now through your imagination. Use your imagination to visualize yourself as lean and fit. See yourself doing all the things lean fit people do. Mimic their behaviors in your mind. They don’t miss an opportunity to go to the gym, a muffin and coffee for breakfast are not even an option, and they look for salads on the menu not sandwiches. They have a whole different way of BEING in the world. You have to become the lean fit person right now in this moment not later. Allow no one to treat you as anything other than a fit, disciplined, vital, lean, athletic person; especially yourself. Your own worst enemy is your own personal negative thoughts and beliefs. Be relentless in removing all negative statements from your mind. Replace “I am fat” with “I enjoy being fit and lean”. Don’t avoid the mirror, but instead stand in front of it and use your imagination to shape your body in your mind’s eye. Get used to seeing yourself that way. Get used to seeing your body as lean and fit. BEcome the lean and fit person first in your mind and you will DO the things necessary and HAVE what you want. BE DO HAVE, It is a powerful new approach.

All members can find plan information via log in on our website. www.menshinsurance.com.

During the month of November which was national diabetes awareness month, we published a news release via Business Wire to promote changes in underwriting for those with Type 1 diabetes and found that it was picked up nationally by Southeastern news services, midwestern press, and as far west as the San Fransisco Chronicle.

Just last week, a writer from the National Diabetes Health Magazine picked up that press release and published a news story from our information…that link is below…

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2010/12/14/6981/life-and-long-term-care-insurance-becoming-increasingly-available-for-those-with-type-1-diabetes/

http://finance.sfgate.com/hearst.sfgate/news/read?GUID=15601188

We have appeared in multiple national broadcasts and internet portals in the last 24 hours!

New developments in
Life Insurance and Long-Term Care Insurance
for people with type 1

by Danny Mensh
Board member – JDRF Piedmont Triad Chapter, and Owner – Mensh Insurance Agency

In the simplest terms, “insurance” provides a contract between an insurance company and the person it insures. For most people, the concept of insurance—and the process of securing it—is fairly straightforward and clear. However, for people with a chronic illness or a disease that requires daily monitoring and maintenance, the topic of insurance becomes far less clear and perhaps even downright sickening.

All too often, those with type 1 have fallen into “pre-determined” categories of “declination”; solely on the basis of their diabetes, they simply haven’t been able to get what their neighbors or friends have secured. While there are solid actuarial reasons for how insurance carriers have dealt with chronic conditions in the past, we finally have good news to report. Some of the barriers have come down, and it’s time for many with type 1 to start looking at insurance as a valuable financial planning tool that finally may be available to them.

For example, due to current medications and proven stability among people with type 1, we have found several major carriers that are now willing (under certain circumstances) to underwrite and issue both Long-Term Care Insurance and Term Life Insurance policies. Without going into all of the underwriting criteria, here are some of the basics:
• Controlled A1c<8
• < 60 units of Insulin
• Controlled Height/Weight
• Average Fasting Blood Sugar <200
• Blood Pressure < 140/90
• No TIA’s within past 5 years
• No Smoking within past 2 years
• No cardiac complication or Retinopathy associated with Eye impairments
• No Chronic Steroid usage
While it is still undeniably frustrating to be judged by an insurance company, we are finding a major shift—from an automatic “No, thank you,” to “Sure, we’ll take a look and issue if you meet some important criteria.”

Unfortunately, many will still be unable to secure Life Insurance to replace lost income and protect debt or Long-Term Care Insurance to pay for in-home, community, or facility-based care for prolonged healthcare needs. However, many people with type 1 are very stable and can easily demonstrate via medical records that they should qualify for approval from major insurance carriers.

If you fall into the category that has routinely flipped the magazine page when you see an advertisement for LTC or Life Insurance, go ahead—read the ad! And then go ahead and see if you qualify.

If you have any questions, please call the Piedmont Triad Chapter office at (336) 373-1768.

When you leave a job – whether due to layoff or for any reason – you are often faced with a decision about your 401(k) or other retirement plans. The decision is whether to keep your 401(k) funds with your former employer, roll them over to an IRA, or pay the taxes and cash out. Over time, many employees have accumulated substantial balances in these employer plans which are designed for tax-advantaged retirement savings.

For this reason, it is wise to understand the implications of each option. Some employers offer the opportunity to maintain your retirement account at the company. On the other hand, by rolling over your funds to an IRA, you can maintain control, manage the funds any way you want, and remain subject to IRA rules alone rather than the limited investment selection and perhaps restrictive distribution policies of your former employer. Note, however, that while you are permitted to take loans from your 401(k) plan, this is not possible in an IRA, and depending on the investments used to fund the IRA, charges and expenses could be higher or lower than those you would incur inside your 401(k) plan.

At your direction, your employer can transfer your distribution directly to another qualified plan or to a rollover IRA. A rollover occurs when you withdraw cash or other assets from one eligible retirement plan and contribute all or part of it within 60 days to another eligible retirement plan. Under this option, you would direct your plan administrator to make a direct and tax-free transfer of funds from your former employer’s plan to a rollover IRA at a financial institution of your choice. That way you maintain the tax-deferred status of your retirement account, consolidate all retirement accounts for easier management, and benefit from increased investment flexibility.

When you roll over a retirement plan distribution, you generally don’t have to pay tax on it until later when you take cash withdrawals. By rolling over, your funds have the potential to continue to grow tax-deferred.

Job changers should resist the temptation to spend down their retirement savings, whether they are moving to a new job or plan a hiatus from work. When you fail to roll over, you not only pay tax on the amount you receive, but you may, if you are under age 59 1/2, be subject to an additional 10% penalty on the early distribution you receive. Sound financial planning dictates that you would draw on other funds first, leaving retirement plan spending as a last resort.

If you are simply moving your IRA from one institution to another and you do not plan to use the funds, you should consider making an IRA transfer and not a rollover. This is a simple direct transfer from IRA to IRA between financial institutions to better manage and grow your retirement assets.

This article was written by Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Patrick E. Crowley, Winston Salem, NC 727-4200.