What Is The Best Age To Buy Long-Term Care Insurance?

Couple considering when to buy LTC Insurance

By now you understand that having Long-Term Care insurance is a good idea, but when the heck are you suppose to buy it? Boomers get inundated with financial advice everywhere they turn. Depending on what time of the day it is you will get a different answer on the best time to buy LTC insurance.

Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey says the best time to buy is after age 60. In Dave’s cost comparison example, he illustrates how it is cheaper to buy LTC at age 50 than it is at age 60. This is of course true. However, his premise that if you wait to buy at age 60 and invest the difference you will come out ahead is not always true. Even if you had the discipline to invest the difference, (which most people don’t) doing so in the stock market gave you a whopping 1.2% average from 2000-2009. I’m not sure where you can get the 5% he talks about these days. Given interest rates and returns of other investment vehicles, you are probably losing money when considering inflation. I do, however, agree with his second point that it is a personal decision and that you should buy it when you can afford it and have peace of mind.

Matt Elwood

I say the best time to buy Long-Term Care insurance is when you can reasonably afford it. There is no magical age when it comes to buying insurance. If you know you need it and you can reasonably afford it, you should buy it. Insurance is meant to provide financial protection from a risk you can’t afford happening without it.

Is It Time For You?

If you would like to have a personal discussion about your Long-Term Care needs, please reach out to me at 360-452-9200

Want more information? Please visit Matt Elwood - Allstate Insurance to get more information on the Allstate products and services I can offer in Port Angeles, Sequim or anywhere Washington State. 

What Are The 6 ADLs of Long Term Care Insurance?

The simple daily tasks of life that you took advantage of while you were younger, now seem to be getting harder. And now that you are living alone, you start to wonder how you will get along if you can’t take care of yourself. That is where Long Term Care insurance comes in. LTC pays for support services if you can’t perform the 6 activities of daily living. So what exactly are these 6 ADLs and how do you activate a LTC policy?

The 6 Activities of Daily Living

Assistance with LTC

The specific definitions vary from company to company, but here are the general 6 ADLs: Eating, Bathing, Getting Dressed, Using The Restroom, Transferring (moving in and out of bed/chair) and Continence (controlling your bowel or bladder functions). If you can’t do 2 of these 6, you qualify for benefits under at Tax-qualified LTC insurance policy.

Cognitive Impairment

The other way you can be eligible to receive LTC benefits is if you have a cognitive impairment. An example of a cognitive impairment is Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. If you know someone that has been touched by this disease, you know very well emotional and financial challenges associated. If you would like to learn more about how Long Term Care Insurance works or if you would like to receive a quote, give me a call at 360-452-9200. You can also email me at mattelwood@allstate.com

Want more information? Please visit Matt Elwood - Allstate Insurance to get more information on the Allstate products and services I can offer in Port Angeles, Sequim or anywhere Washington State. 

How to Get Insurance When Moving to Port Angeles, Washington

Matt Elwood, Agency Owner

You have finally decided to leave the rat race and move to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula. One of the many things on your to-do list may be to get new home and auto insurance, especially if you are coming from out of state. How do you go about doing that?

When changing insurance agents, there are some important things to remember. These apply if you are moving from a different state, a different insurance company, or you just want to go through a different agent in the company you are currently with. If you follow these tips, it will make the process of changing agents much easier.

First of all, contact your new agent before your current policy expires. A lapse of even one day can drastically impact your new rates and might even prevent you from being able to have a new policy. This is especially true for car insurance.

It is also helpful to have your current insurance in front of you so you know what coverages you have. It makes it easier to get an accurate quote if you know what you want.

Keep in mind that if you’re moving from one state to another, your insurance will probably be different. Even if you stay with the same company. Every state is different regarding premiums and discounts. There are also certain coverages that differ from state to state. And required state minimums also vary.

If you are relocating to the Olympic Peninsula area and need a new insurance agent, please contact Matt Elwood of Elwood Benefits at 360-452-9200.

Knowledge is power

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Los Angeles Real Estate Agent Eric Smilay of Smilay Properties

Eric Smilay

I want to give some publicity to a great friend and recent father, Eric Smilay of Smilay Properties. Eric is the one who got me excited about digital marketing and having an overall web presence. He was using Twitter and his website for business long before I even knew what Twitter was.

Eric has been selling real estate in Los Angeles since 2005. The great thing about Eric is that not only has he survived this challenging real estate market, he has thrived in it. He has done so by staying positive, utilizing several marketing channels and working extremely hard. His beautiful wife recently gave birth to their first child. Minutes after the delivery, Eric was on the phone negotiating a deal. Now that is dedication!

I have a special connection with Eric because we grew up together playing basketball in Port Angeles, WA. We both relocated to Southern California to attend college and remained close friends while we launched our careers. It has been cool to see Eric’s professional growth along the way. Eric is a true entrepreneur and has a natural ability to close business deals.

Smilay Properties

Eric is constantly juggling several listings throughout the city, but his area of expertise and passion is in the Hollywood area. If you are looking to buy or sell real estate in Los Angeles, let Eric earn your business and you won’t be disappointed.

Eric can be reached on his cell phone at 310-600-9172 or by email at smilayproperties@gmail.com. You can also follow Eric’s Twitter feed @esmilay where he regularly posts up-to-date listings in the Los Angeles Real Estate market.

Knowledge is power

Sign up for Matt's monthly insurance newsletter and he will share with you how to better protect your family, save more money and achieve financial security.

Auto Insurance Discounts For Single People

Saving money on your car insurance

Being single definitely has its financial advantages, but you may be missing out on some car insurance discounts that your married friends currently enjoy. Here are 3 discounts that you can take advantage of on your own.

Premier Plus Discount

The Premier Plus discount is available to you for being accident free for the past 5 years as well as maintaining prior insurance with a standard carrier for the past 3 years. The lesson here is that being a responsible driver and maintaining your insurance with no lapses in coverage is a smart thing to do. The amount of discount varies with your rating group and coverage type.

Good Payer Discount

The Good Payer discount is definitely one to take advantage of. This discount gives you 5% for paying your bills on time. In the state of Washington that is defined as having no cancellation bills sent to you in the past 12 months. It may vary from state to state so check with you agent.

EZ Pay Discount

Here is another easy one. The EZ Pay discount is another 5% if you elect to pay via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) at the time you buy your policy. However, if you remove the EFT, the discount will be removed at your next policy removal.

These are just a few of the discounts available on your auto insurance. Next time you speak with your agent, make sure you are getting all the possible discounts you qualify for. If you would like a free car insurance quote along with a review of your discounts, please contact me at 360-452-9200

Want more information? Please visit my official Allstate Agency Website to get more information on the Allstate products and services I can offer in Port Angeles, Sequim or anywhere Washington State.

Auto Insurance Discounts For Families

Save on your insurance by bundling!

Are you looking for ways to save money on your family budget? Car insurance discounts are a great place to start. There are several discounts available, but here are 3 great ones for your family to take advantage of if you are not already.

Multiple Policy Discount

You have probably heard it a thousand times on television or radio, but bundling your insurance policies with one company can save you a lot of money. The multiple policy discount is recognized by having your auto insurance along with your homeowners insurance, renters insurance or condo insurance policy together. You can save several hundred dollars a year by doing this.

Auto and Life Discount

Allstate recently announced their new Auto/Life discount in the state of Washington for their preferred auto line. By having your life insurance with Allstate and/or Lincoln Benefit Life, you can receive a 2.5% discount on the next renewal of your auto insurance. Hey, it all adds up!

Good Student Discount

Do you have kids in high school or college? If so, it pays for them to have good grades. If your student is under the age of 25, a full-time student, unmarried with a grade average of B or better or in the top 20% if their class, you qualify for a discount on your auto insurance. The amount of the discount depends on what policy and coverage you have so check with your local agent.

These are just a few of the discounts available on your auto insurance. Next time you speak with your agent, make sure you are getting all the possible discounts you qualify for. If you would like a free car insurance quote along with a review of your discounts, please contact me at 360-452-9200

Want more information? Please visit my official Allstate Agency Website to get more information on the Allstate products and services I can offer in Port Angeles, Sequim or anywhere Washington State.