PLANNING TOOLS AND ARTICLES FOR YOUR PROTECTION PLANNING The following planning tools and articles provide a wealth of information on protection planning.  The information provided is of a general nature and is not intended to address specific individual business situations. Remember, there is no substitute for professional advice.   Always consult with your financial team (attorney, insurance agent, investment advisor and tax advisor) before taking any action.

Protection Planning   Articles     Annuities       Annuities and retirement planning       Annuities: traps for the unwary       Annuity basics       Annuity distributions       Fixed annuity contracts       Funding an annuity: what are the options?       Guaranteed annuity contracts       Qualified and nonqualified annuities       Shopping for an annuity       Tax planning for annuities       Tax-deferred annuities: are they right for you?       Variable annuities       What are annuity subaccounts?     Automobile insurance       ABCs of auto insurance       Auto accident checklist       Auto insurance for 20-somethings       Auto insurance for the hard-to-insure       Baby on board: keeping your child safe in the car       Buying a new car? Asking these questions might save you money on your auto insurance       Comparing auto insurance policies       Dealing with the damage: the auto repair process       Deer and moose are deadly road hazards       Driving defensively at any age       Filing an auto insurance claim       Five ways to fight auto insurance fraud       GAP insurance       How automobile insurance premiums are determined       How much auto insurance coverage do you need?       How safe is that new car?       Insuring a teenage driver       Insuring your boat       Insuring your personal watercraft       Insuring your snowmobile and ATV       Is your teen ready to drive?       Lawsuits: what every driver needs to know       Liability coverage under your personal auto insurance policy       Medical payments coverage       Motorcycle insurance       No-fault insurance       Policy options       Preventing car theft       Rental car insurance       Shopping for auto insurance       State-by-state minimum coverage requirements       Tax planning tips: auto insurance       Understanding your personal automobile policy       Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage       Who's covered under your auto insurance policy?       Will your auto insurance premiums go up after an auto accident?     Business insurance       Business automobile insurance basics       Business interruption insurance       Business liability insurance basics       Business overhead expense insurance       Commercial general liability       Disability income insurance for the self-employed       Do you need crime insurance?       Funding a buy-sell agreement with disability insurance       Funding a buy-sell agreement with life insurance       Group health insurance: a valued employee benefit       Group term life insurance       Health insurance for the self-employed       Income tax tips: business insurance       Insurance tips for business travelers       Insuring your home business       Key employee life and disability insurance       Life insurance for the self-employed       Offering group disability insurance       Professional liability coverage       Properly insuring your business       Should you self-insure your business?       Split dollar insurance plans       Understanding your business owners policy       What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance       Why insure your business?     Disability insurance       Beyond the basics: disability income insurance riders       Comparing disability income insurance policies       Disability income insurance: typical policy features       Do you need disability income insurance?       Government-sponsored disability insurance programs       Group disability insurance       How disability income insurance policies define disability       How much disability income insurance should you have?       Long-term vs. short-term disability income insurance       Lowering the cost of disability insurance       Noncancelable and guaranteed renewable policies       Surviving the underwriting process for disability income insurance       Tax planning tips: disability insurance       The fundamentals of disability insurance       Understanding waiting periods       Where to get disability coverage     General insurance topics       Accidental death and dismemberment insurance       Buying insurance: what savvy consumers should know       Choosing an insurance provider       Fighting insurance fraud       Finding and using insurance company rating information       Finding and working with an insurance agent or broker       Handling a dispute with your insurance company       Insurance concerns of divorcing couples       Insurance contract basics       Insurance needs in retirement       Pet insurance       Shopping for insurance       Travel insurance       Types of insurance       Umbrella liability insurance       Why buy insurance?     Health insurance       Alternative therapies       Archer medical savings accounts       Buying short-term health insurance       Comparing health insurance plans       Coping with medical bills       Coping with rising prescription costs       Dental insurance       Getting health insurance when you're hard to insure       Group health insurance       Health insurance and COBRA: sometimes you can take it with you       Health insurance and divorce       Health insurance for college students       Health insurance for travelers       Health insurance in retirement       Health insurance made simple       HMOs and PPOs: what's the difference?       Individual health insurance       Limitations, exclusions, and riders       Lowering the cost of health care       Making the most of your group health benefits       Mental health benefits       Planning a family? Get to know your health insurance policy       POS plans       Prescription plans       Preventing sports injuries       Tax tips: health insurance       Trends in managed care       Understanding managed care       Understanding your health insurance policy       Vision care insurance       Where to get health insurance     Homeowners insurance       Are you covered if . . .?       Buying a home both you and your insurer will love       Comparing homeowners policies       Conducting a home inventory       Earthquake insurance       Filing a homeowners insurance claim       Fire prevention and safety tips       Flood insurance       Home security tips       How much homeowners insurance coverage should you have?       How to save money on homeowners insurance       Insuring a condo or co-op       Insuring a manufactured home       Insuring a new home during construction       Insuring your home during remodeling       Insuring your personal computer or laptop       Insuring your vacation home       Insuring your valuables       Leaving your home alone for the winter       Liability insurance under your homeowners policy       Mold: are you covered?       Natural disasters: are you prepared?       Opening the door to homeowners insurance       Renters insurance       Shopping for homeowners insurance       Tax tips: homeowners insurance       Understanding your homeowners policy       When homeowners are dogowners       Who is covered under your homeowners policy?       Windstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes: are you covered?       Winterizing your home     Life insurance       Cash value life insurance       Claiming life insurance benefits       Comparing life insurance policies       Credit life insurance       Designating a beneficiary for life insurance       How does cash value in a life insurance policy really work?       How much life insurance do you need?       Life insurance and charitable giving       Life insurance and estate planning       Life insurance and terminal illness       Life insurance at various life stages       Life insurance basics       Life insurance for children       Life insurance: do you need it?       Life insurance: the application process       Making policy loans and withdrawals       Planning ahead for life insurance proceeds       Reading and understanding your life insurance policy       Shopping for life insurance       Surrendering your life insurance policy       Tax planning tips: life insurance       Term life insurance       Term vs. cash value life insurance       The ins and outs of policy ownership       Traditional whole life insurance       Types of life insurance policies       Understanding insurance company illustrations       Universal life insurance       Variable life insurance       Variable universal life insurance       Viatical settlements     Long-term care insurance       Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits       Do your parents need long-term care insurance?       Five things to watch out for when buying long-term care insurance       If long-term care insurance isn't right for you: other options       Long-term care insurance: how does it work?       Should you buy long-term care insurance?       Tax tips: long-term care insurance       Understanding long-term care insurance       Understanding long-term care riders and options       Using life insurance riders to pay for long-term care       What do long-term care insurance policies cover?   Decision Tools     Annuities       Advantages and disadvantages of tax-deferred fixed annuities       Advantages and disadvantages of variable annuities       Annuities       Fixed vs. variable annuities       How a fixed deferred annuity works       How a variable annuity works       Immediate vs. deferred annuities       Understanding annuity expenses     Automobile insurance       Auto insurance analyzer       How to save money on your auto insurance     Business insurance       Business life insurance needs       How cross purchase plans work       How entity purchase plans work       How insurance preserves assets       Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan     Disability insurance       Disability insurance benefit period       Disability insurance cost-of-living rider       Disability insurance waiting period       Disability insurance waiver of premiums       How much disability insurance can you buy?       Individual/group disability policy alternatives       Likelihood of suffering a disability by age 50       Noncancelable and guaranteed renewable disability policies       Recurrent disability provision       Residual and partial disability benefits       When do you qualify for disability benefits?     General insurance topics