Life Insurance and Living Benefits

W hen we were kids, it was O.K. to be sick. You got to stay home, you were fed ice cream and popsicles and the best thing was, you did not have to go to school. Now the meaning of being sick has changed, now that we are grownups we don’t want to be sick. Being ill for the most part scares many people,  especially  when it comes to long term illnesses. Long term can be defined as the inability to do your job for 90 days or more. According to disability insurance carriers in Canada, if an individual is sick or hurt enough to be out for 90 days, statistics show that you will remain off work for 2-3 years depending on your age at the start of the disability. Protecting one’s self in the event of a disability is a basic financial strategy, yet financial planners often hear expressions like “I’m insurance poor”, “I can’t afford the premiums” or “It’s too expensive”. This is not a new adage either. Found in my desk drawer, I keep a booklet first printed in 1920. The...

There are no secrets to success, besides hard work. Nevertheless, one thing I have found to be fruitful and comes close to being a “secret to success” is this… “Do something every day that has the potential to earn $1,000.00.” Our lives and work keep us so busy that we sometimes don’t do the things we know make us successful. We talk on the phone too much, we spend too much time on the internet, we respond to emails as if a response is needed in 30 seconds or our computer will explode and we often spend too much time at the water cooler. In addition, we let the business run us, rather than us running the business. So, if we were to change one thing that would make a long term impact towards our success; what would it be? At the end of the day, we need to take an inventory of what we have actually accomplished. Did we do all the right things? Did our “to do” list actually get smaller? Did all the important things get done? Did you do something that had the potential to ear...

Have you ever gone to a presentation and as you watched and listened; you found yourself completely immersed in the conversation from the podium? Soon after you hear the words, “Thank you, you have been a great audience”, people applaud and it’s over. Upon reflection, you find that the time just whipped by.  Then, you find yourself talking about the presentation to your friends and colleagues. In contrast, have you ever gone to a presentation and as the presenter is talking, you are looking at your watch, wondering if you should read your emails, or think about getting up and going for a coffee? Imagine if you were the person who was responsible for choosing one of the two speakers above. Which one would you be proud of? I have been to hundreds of presentations in my 30 years as a financial planner, and I too have spoken in 10 countries around the globe. In fact I have spoken to audiences in English, and through translators. Today’s comments however have been learn...

In 1985 I sold computers for a living. The Compaq portable was a featherweight at 28 pounds.  The industry has grown up so much in the past 30 years. What surprizes me is that with all the technology around us, many people don’t take full advantage of ways to improve how their office functions. In this blog, we focus on 7 ways to make your office more efficient with a little technology: Voice mail to email Electronic files/scanning CRM software Remote access to computer Online client survey Online visibility Electronic presentations Everyone has voice mail on the office phone.  However, there is a relatively new technology called Voice mail to email that has come out and it is very useful. Imagine you are away from the office (even on the golf course), and you miss a phone message from a client you were not expecting to hear from. A moment later, you are alerted by your iPhone that you have a new email. When you look at the screen, you see that it is no...