Queercents

While I have been flying solo in my business full time for a number of months now, the time has come for me to find health benefits. I knew it was going to be a complicated process, but the last few weeks have left my head spinning in a way I haven’t experienced since my first big party weekend as a freshman in college.

In the past for me the choices were simple: what does the company’s flex benefits offer and which one is the furthest from an HMO because I refuse to be told who I can and cannot see for my personal care? Now, I have the same myriad of choices but with more complex details and of course a far heftier price tag since I am insuring myself and not part of the corporate herd. What makes the choice even more anxiety producing are the horror stories you hear about from Michael Moore’s movie Sicko (while he does tend to the dramatic there is a lot of scary truth in there) and from some firsthand accounts from personal colleagues. How’s a savvy self employed woman to choose? Read the rest of this entry »

My hair has never been more than an inconvenience for me— but when it started to rain from my head like confetti, it rekindled my interest in hair products. As a single gay man (with an arguable appreciation for beauty) there were few things that could darken my romantic prospects more than going bald.

I knew I wanted to keep my hair, but I was concerned about the cost and effectiveness of the different options out there. Fortunately there are treatments and… if you know what to get, they cost less than some designer shampoos.

Don’t be fooled by gimmicky products

Much of the non-prescription treatments advertised on television do little more than darken thinning hair (kind of like mascara) or tint the scalp (kind of like spray paint). There are a lot of snake oils out there aimed at getting your money and preying on customer desperation. Knowledge is power: talk to your doctor or look for customer reviews in hair loss forums before buying.

There are, however, a couple things that are proven to work… Read the rest of this entry »

I’m so happy to be returning to Queercents this week! I’ve been recovering from knee surgery and am coming out of the pain-haze. For the past three weeks I’ve been taking my new health insurance policy for a spin. The coverage I chose seems to be sufficient and I’ve been able to visit excellent doctors. As the explanation of benefits come pouring in my mailbox, my PPO is covering what I anticipated. My out of pocket costs have not been shocking.

As I may have mentioned in the past, my father works in the insurance industry. My family values the benefits of being insurance. A Wiki respondent said it concisely “You transfer your risk to an insurance company in exchange for a premium.”

That said, you can purchase insurance for just about anything. It covers basics like health and property insurance. It can also be unconventional like “star employee insurance” which covers business owners against loss of a great employee or “animal immortality” for highly trained performing animals. Read the rest of this entry »

Laurie Flynn is a Financial Advisor with Smith Barney and is a supporter of Queercents. She’s written a few posts these past weeks on the topic of insurance and investing. These are her words…

What steps should I take to protect my partner or myself if one of us is hospitalized?

Empower Yourself
Hospitals and doctors will typically turn to family members in medical emergencies to make decisions about care. Some medical professionals will not recognize a same-sex partner as a family member. If you or your partner is hospitalized, a properly drafted health care proxy will enable each of you to make medical decisions for the other in the event of incapacity. Read the rest of this entry »

Laurie Flynn is a Financial Advisor with Smith Barney and is a supporter of Queercents. She’s written a few posts these past weeks on the topic of investing. These are her words…

The Hard Facts of Long-Term Care Insurance

Almost everyone knows the merits of life insurance—the umbrella for that rainy day. But few of us consider that perhaps a bigger need is for long-term care insurance—coverage for the unfortunate event that you or a loved one becomes incapacitated or disabled and unable to care for yourself. Indeed, 75 percent of Americans have made no preparations for long-term care. Well, it’s time to face the hard facts about long-term care.

Fact one: Today, approximately 9 million Americans over the age 65 will need some form of long-term care, and that number will reach 12 million by 2020. Read the rest of this entry »

Laurie Flynn is a Financial Advisor with Smith Barney and is a supporter of Queercents. She’s written a few posts these past weeks on the topic of investing. These are her words…

Strategies to Help Cope with Higher Oil Prices

With oil prices up sharply during the past few years, many investors are worried about the effects of higher fuel prices on the value of their investments. Some have even asked if now is a good time to avoid stocks due to the surge in oil prices.

High prices at the pump”and the headlines that often accompany them”shouldn’t prompt you to make big changes to your long-term investment strategy. Read the rest of this entry »

I have never been without health insurance. It has been one of those necessary, expected standards imposed upon me since before I was responsible for my own health care. My parents made it clear that it was as essential as food, and insuring oneself is the primary piece of advice in almost any financial management book. As a result, I’ve sought after jobs with good benefits packages, never paid more than $20 at the doctor, had my teeth cleaned regularly, wear designer eyeglass frames, and paid only $50 for that one ambulance ride. Now, however, I am entering into an existence characteristic of starving artitude, investing most of my time in personal projects, withdrawing my investments from the corporations that have supported/owned me for the past decade. I still work the required minimum twenty hours at my current regular job to maintain health benefits but am beginning to consider plans for insuring myself at a point not so far off into the future.

I’ve done some research, seen the COBRA dollar signs, compared prices for when the COBRA time-frame expires (usually 18 months after a qualifying event: termination, hours reduction, etc.). Insuring oneself through an individual policy is not inexpensive; and where it is less so, the deductibles turn routine checkups into hefty debits. The decision is one weighing self-protection for possible future events against an immediate financial cushion in a not-so-lush period of transition. Read the rest of this entry »

“If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one.” – Andy Rooney

When I first met my partner, we both had our “deal breaker” issues about getting involved in a long term relationship. She wanted children and needed to know upfront if her prospective mate would be up for this down the road. My deal breaker was that I didn’t want a dog. Ever. Never. Nada. Tell people this and automatically you’re damaged and categorized as some horrific human being. So allow me to be more precise: I like dogs… I just never want to live with one.

Fast-forward five years after sealing the deal and we’re busy trying to make a baby. We also have a cat. Everyone is happy. Read the rest of this entry »

Maggie Jennings is a registered representative with New England Financial in New York and has been a supporter of Queercents since our launch over a year ago. She writes articles for us from time to time. These are her words…

Imagine: You’re within pennies of affording that dream vacation, only to have your car conk out on you. And then, when you’ve nearly saved enough for a new car, you’re met with an unexpected medical expense that sets you back even further.

If you’re like most Americans, you’ve probably, at one time or another, had an unexpected expense change your short-term financial well-being. Indeed, Americans are facing a bigger financial burden these days. Consumers are realizing that they may not be able to count on traditional social safety nets to ensure their financial well being over the course of their lifetimes. Read the rest of this entry »

Write down three words along the left margin of a piece of paper. You will want to remember these words, as they are the collective key to unlocking a financial debacle that is imprisoning our nation. Simple, easy to remember, yet seemingly impossible for some to internalize:

• Risk
• Cost
• Solution

Risk
The risk to which I am referring affects 60% sixty percent of all Americans, according to the Social Security Administration. The risk is that you will not be able to complete two of these next six Activities of Daily Living (ADL). You should write these down, too. Read the rest of this entry »