Business Info

Ambition is a wonderful thing when it pays off. How many times have we watched a slugger walk up to the plate, look the pitcher in the eye, and lift an arm to point where the ball is going to land somewhere in the next state, only to strike out? Well, the new President has just stepped up to the plate. We have the TARP bailout plan carried over from the last Administration. The new Stimulus Package has been passed. Now comes the budget. Anyone doing the math will find the number of zeros adding on to the deficit reaching epidemic proportions. It seems the country is proposing to plunge even deeper into debt when it’s already in a recession, fighting two wars – one in Iraq and the other in Afghanistan – and facing a meltdown in the banking and car industries. Unemployment is at historic highs and, if the trend continues, the amount of tax collected will fall. Yet, the President is proposing major reform of the health care service. Is he biting off more than he can chew? Read the rest of this entry »

If only worlds were ideal. Everyone would have the money to hand and no pre-existing medical conditions. They would buy into any insurance policy, get great value with everything covered and then, ironically, never fall ill. Life would be perfect. Unfortunately, insurance premiums have been rocketing upwards and disposable incomes have been sinking fast so insurance companies have reacted in the only way a for-profit company can – they reduced the scope of the coverage on offer. This puts pressure on everyone to search the market to find those companies representing the best value-for-money. So just how bad is it? Well, as a healthy private citizen under the age of forty years, if you shop around, you can get coverage for less than $200 a month. This will not be a gold-plated policy but it will give you a reasonable level of protection. The idea is to save you from bankruptcy if you have a serious accident or are unlucky enough to catch some serious disease. Being practical is the name of the game. Read the rest of this entry »