Archive for July, 2008

Updating My Will And Purchasing More Insurance

I’m on a roll.  Here’s what I’ve done today.  (No more procrastinating…)

Term Life Insurance – I went online (to insure.com and zanderins.com) and got quotes for two term life insurance policies, one for me and one for wife.  I chose 20 year level term policies that equal 12 times our annual incomes.  (We already have two term life policies, and we may or may not choose to keep them, once the new policies are approved.)

Disability Insurance – Again, I requested quotes and applications from zanderins.com.  The applications should arrive in the next few days.

Wills – I spoke with my attorney.  Tomorrow, at 11:00 AM, my wife and I will sign our new wills.  Tomorrow night, I’ll sleep soundly.

Renter’s, Automobile, and Umbrella Policies -  Right now, I have sufficient Renter’s and Automobile coverage.  But, I have my policies with two separate companies.  I’m looking into moving those policies to a single agent – and then obtaining an Umbrella policy.  Tomorrow, I’ll contact both of my agents and see what each offers.  (I might end up canceling both policies and going with an entirely new agent, if need be.)

Organizational Steps -

I spent some time today organizing several of our important documents.  I put our marriage certificate, the kids’ birth certificates, and our income tax returns in a safe, secure place.  I also made copies of all of our insurance policies.  Tomorrow, I’ll put a copy of our new wills in the same place.  And, I updated our list of accounts.  (I update this list two or three times a year, so that my wife will have easy access to our current financial situation.)

I’ve done all that I can do for today.  Tomorrow, we’ll sign our new wills and I’ll call both of my insurance agents.  It feels good to get the ball rolling and it will feel even better, once all of my bases have been sufficiently covered.

Time To Request A Withdrawal From My Upromise Account

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of Upromise.  Sign up for free, register your debit cards, credit cards, and grocery bonus cards, and you can earn cash rewards for your kids’ college.  Upromise encourages you to invest the rewards in 529 plans, but, I don’t use 529 plans to save for my kids’ college.  Instead, I like to withdraw my money from Upromise, once a year, and use the money to fund my kids’ Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).

From the Upromise site -

Can I withdraw company contributions from my Upromise account without transferring them to a savings plan, and if so, how?

You can withdraw your Upromise contributions at any time during your membership. To withdraw company contributions from your Upromise account, submit a letter in writing to Upromise requesting a withdrawal from your Upromise account. The letter must state your full name and exact amount that you would like to withdraw, up to total amount available in your account, pending contributions are not eligible for withdrawal.

For the protection of our members, we require that your letter either be notarized or contain a Signature Guarantee if the withdrawal request is in excess of $200. A Signature Guarantee is a guarantee you can obtain from a financial institution, such as your bank, that your signature is yours and that it is genuine.

Withdrawal letters should be sent to:

Upromise
ATTN: Customer Care
P.O. Box 55555
Boston, MA 02205-5555

Download Withdrawal Request Form (Direct Link Removed)

Checks are sent once per calendar quarter, so you should typically receive your check within 12 weeks of your request being received.

As you can see, Upromise makes it easy to get to your money, and then you can do whatever you want with it.  (They’ve even created a Withdrawal Request Form.  Print it out and mail it it in.  In about 12 weeks, you’ll have your check!)  Of course, you could leave your money in the Upromise account and invest it in a 529 plan.  Whatever you decide to do, it’s good to know that you can get to your rewards money, if you want.

Right now, I have more than $50 in my account.  I’m going to mail my letter Friday morning.  I’ll let you know when my check arrives.

Insurance Worries And My Need To Stop Procrastinating

Alright, I have procrastinated long enough.

A few months ago, I went to a lawyer and had him draw up new wills, one for me and one for my wife.  But, even though I have them sitting in a folder in a filing cabinet, we haven’t signed them.  So, tomorrow, I’m going to call his office and my wife and I are going to make them official.  Why have I waited so long?  Shear laziness?  How does that sound?  Sadly, it’s the truth.

I also need to revamp my current insurance situation.  Tomorrow, after meeting with the lawyer, I’m going to visit my insurance agent.  I need to increase our term life coverage, rework my automobile insurance coverage, purchase long term disability, renew my renter’s policy, and talk to the agent about an umbrella policy.

I’ve put these changes and upgrades off for far too long.  Right now, we have minimal coverage.  By the end of the week, we should have substantially more coverage and I’ll feel much better.  I should have taken care of this a long time ago.  But, there’s no need in beating myself up about it.

Do you procrastinate?  If so, why?  If not, how do you avoid it?  Like a kid putting off a term paper, I find that I procrastinate – mainly when I’m unsure of the next step to take.  So, foolishly, I just do nothing, until, in a panic, I have to deal with the consequences of my procrastination.  Silly me.

Reader Poll Results – 6 Months Worth Of Expenses And The Emergency Fund

A month ago, I asked my readers to share their ideas about emergency funds, how much money it takes to cover 6 months worth of expenses, and the best place to stash emergency fund cash.  I’ve been amazed by the response to the poll.  More than 1000 readers have voted – and almost 50 left detailed answers in the comments section!

Here is a quick summary of the poll results, as of July 22, 2008.

For most folks, six months worth of expenses is somewhere between $8,000 and $25,000.  But, for many, their goal is more than $30,000!  That’s pretty interesting.

As for where to keep the emergecny fund, most opt for an online savings account, a few use a regular savings account, and still others use money market accounts from their local banks.

Because of the poll’s popularity, I’ve decided to keep it up for another month.  So, if you haven’t already, head over, cast your vote, and leave a comment.

New Social Security Benefits Calculator Plus A Stroll Through My Blogroll

On the way home from the bank today, I heard a news story on the radio about the new Social Security Benefits Calculator, located over at SSA.gov.  You can use the estimator, if -

* You are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record;
* You have enough Social Security credits at this time to qualify for benefits and
* You are not eligible for a Pension Based on Work Not Covered By Social Security.

Take a look and see what your benefits will be (assuming Social Security still exists) when you retire.

While I was away at camp, my fellow personal finance bloggers were busy producing some great content.  Here are a few of the articles that caught my eye -

Articles from My Other Sites -

No. Calories Needed – Building My Food Budget – Establish Daily Caloric Intake

99 Changes – Back From Camp With Updates (Changes 1-11)

No Credit Needed Network – All Chart Updates Have Been Published

Articles from the Money Blog Network -

Get Rich Slowly – Ask the Readers: How to Get Started with Investing?

Mighty Bargain Hunter – Did Some Yard Sale Shopping

All Financial Matters – Worried About Generation Y And Retirement

Consumerism Commentary – Celebrates 5 Years Of Consumerism Commentary And Wants Reader Feedback

Free Money Finance – How Low Is Too Low When Making An Offer On A Home Purchase?

Five Cent Nickel – How To Freeze Your Credit

Wise Bread – Paying Cash For A Home Purchase

Articles from My Blogroll -

Paid Twice – Guess who’s reduced debt by more than 50%?!?

My Two Dollars – Would you ride a scooter to save money on gasoline?

The Digerati Life – Fire Safety Tips For The Home

Money Smart Life – Has A Confession About Credit Cards

The Sun’s Financial – Feedback And Discount Brokers

Lazy Man – Reviews Credit Karma And Free Credit Scores

Generation X – How To Get Your Money’s Worth From Potatoes

Blunt Money – Saving Money Is Addicting

Frugal Dad – Rebuilding The Emergency Fund

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