May is Disability Awareness Month

May is Disability Awareness Month!

A recent study by the American Council for Life Insurers indicates that over 50 million households in the United States are without individual disability insurance. This is why every financial/estate plan must address the impact of a long term disability. Especially when you consider that you are four times more likely to suffer a disability than die prior to age 67. Without a plan in place, many families and individuals face severe financial difficulty.

The four most common reasons for a long term disability:

    • 1. Musculoskeletal disorders (29%)
    • 2. Cancer (15%)
    • 3. Pregnancy (9.4%)
    • 4. Mental health issues (9.1%)

The consequences of a long term disability can be alarming. A 2014 study of bankruptcy filings showed the primary causes as medical bills, lost job and illness, comprising over 60% of the filings.

Workers’ compensation and Social Security do not provide a significant benefit. In 2016, only 1% of American workers missed work because of a work-related injury or illness. Also, from 2006 through 2015, only 34% of claims submitted to Social Security claims approved. And the average social security benefit was $1,197/month.

Lastly, many are covered by a group disability policy through work. This is a valuable benefit but the benefit is taxable and most with higher incomes are not adequately covered. If you or someone you know is concerned about their disability program, please contact us for a review.

May is Disability Awareness Month – Become aware of what you have.

Best regards,
Greenberg, Wexler & Eig, LLC

Freedman Risk Management Joins Greenberg, Wexler & Eig as an Affiliate Partner

Greenberg, Wexler & Eig would like to welcome their new affiliate partner, Mitchell Freedman and Freedman Risk Management, LLC. FRM provides an exhaustive array of personal lines insurance and risk management solutions for the affluent household.

Coverages and services provided by FRM include:

  • Homeowners (Domestic, Second Home, International Property)
  • Automobile (private passenger, collectables, motorcycles)
  • Watercraft/Aircraft (yacht, mega-yacht, personal boats, single engine, etc.)
  • Liability (Excess limits available up to $100 million)
  • Valuable Articles (fine art, jewelry, wine, etc.)
  • High Limit Umbrella

Mitch Freedman began his insurance career with Aon Corporation in 1999 in their commercial healthcare practice, providing risk management solutions to large integrated delivery systems and managed care organizations. In 2002, he launched, developed and managed the personal insurance brokerage operation for Aon Private Risk Management in Washington, DC. Starting in 2005, he launched, developed and managed the DC-area operation for NFP P&C Private Client Group (formerly Lane McVicker, LLC).

Since 2012, Mitch has been recognized by Washingtonian magazine as one of the area’s top insurance advisors and by Northern Virginia magazine as one of the areas most trusted risk managers as voted on by industry peers. He has also authored a number of articles on personal risk management over the years on topics such as high-valued home insurance, adequate personal liability insurance, and valuables coverage for wine and other collectibles. Mitch resides in Leesburg, VA with his wife, Audrey, and stepson William. He is an avid golfer, a fan of European football, and a proud supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Mitch is also an active Board Member of Loudoun Junior Golf Association, currently serving as Vice President. We look forward to Mitch joining us and providing exceptional advice and service to our clients.

New Year’s Resolution: Health Changes for better Life Insurance Rates!

New Year’s Resolution: Health Changes for better Life Insurance Rates!

Eat less, exercise more, and help get yourself the best life insurance rate class possible! Make your new year’s resolution to evaluate your life insurance portfolio and make sure you are paying the lowest possible premiums. If you didn’t get the best rates at the time your policy was issued, you might be able to replace your existing insurance with a policy at a better rate. This could be possible if you’ve had significant health changes. Some examples:

Build: Most companies have strict build charts for height and weight. If you had a life insurance policy issued at Standard rates due your weight, but you have since lost 20, 30 or maybe even more pounds, let us know. This could help you get to the next rate class, or maybe even up multiple classes!

Smoking status: If you are a smoker, your life insurance premiums are typically double what a non-smoker would pay. Once you’ve quit smoking however, it is possible to get your premiums back down. Typically after 3 years of being smoke-free, you can get approved at a Preferred non-smoker rate.

Cholesterol, blood pressure, and other lab readings: Many people deal with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other lab values that can sometimes be higher than we’d like (A1C, liver function, glucose levels, etc). With medication control and doctor’s supervision, a person is often able to get these lowered. You might not be able to have the best lab results at the time of application, but if you are willing to get examined again, we could get new labs and shop the case around for you to see if there is room for an improved rate class.

Take some time to figure out if your situation has changed since you last purchased life insurance and we can look into if any premium savings are possible. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions!

David Wexler Spoke During An AALU Webinar

David Wexler recently appeared on a nationally broadcasted webinar, hosted by the Association of Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU), a national advocacy organization dedicated to serve the needs of life insurance community. During this webinar, David was joined by Mark Teitelbaum, the current chairmen of AALU’s Wealth Transfer Committee and Justin Brown, the Vice President of Legislative Affairs at the AALU. Together, they analyzed the potential effects of tax reform and estate tax repeal on insurance advisors and their clients. In addition, the panel shared their recent experience with clients and others professional advisors about their responses to proposed changes by the new Administration.