SafeMoney 8-03-24

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good Saturday morning to all on this first Saturday in
August twenty twenty four Dick Shechulle here and this is
Safe Money. We have been here on Saturday mornings for
a good number of years now talking with you, our listeners,
about strategies, strategies we use with our clients to manage

(00:23):
and protect assets, and to manage and protect those assets
safely in today's very unsafe world. A reminder, first thing
this morning, the Run with Carl is coming up here
very shortly on September second, Labor Day, September second, in
only thirty one days. This is a special Run with Carl,

(00:49):
our special thirtieth year anniversary of the Run with Carl.
Note that the Run with Carl is managed and operated
by a special partnership between the Bettendorf Community Schools in
the Pleasant Valley Community Schools. It is the Run with
Carl that has created the Carl de Schillig Memorial Fund,

(01:10):
a five O one C three organization that has provided
over fifty scholarships to graduates of Pleasant Valley and Bettendorf
High Schools over the years. In twenty fourteen, the Bettendorf
Schools Foundation and the Pleasant Valley Educational Foundation combine efforts

(01:32):
to take ownership of the Labor Day Run with Carl.
Race proceeds benefit the educational foundations at both school districts. Today,
the Run with Carl continues to honor Carl's legacy and
continues to have the full support of the Schillig family. Remember,

(01:54):
the thirtieth annual Run with Carl is in only thirty
one days, So if you're not registered yet, go to
the Run with Car website to get registered for the
half mile Children's fun runs, the five mile run, or
the five k run walk. The second thing this morning,

(02:15):
I want to remind you that during this month of August,
we continue offering our virtual monthly community meetings. These next
meetings are scheduled for August twentieth and August twenty second.
That's Tuesday August twentieth and Thursday August twenty second. On

(02:37):
Tuesday August twentieth, Craig talks about the basics of Medicare
and then focuses on the Medicare supplements. Two days later,
on Thursday, August twenty second, Craig again reviews the basics
of Medicare and then focuses on the alternative to Medicare.
And that is the Medicare advantaged plans Care Parts C.

(03:03):
Call Craig to participate, call him at five sixty three
three three two twenty two hundred and receive instructions on
how to participate virtually. Today's Safe Money topic focuses on
a Newsweek article published July seventeenth, twenty twenty four. That

(03:26):
topic states at nearly half of all Americans struggle to
afford access to quality healthcare and prescription medications. This is
the warning of the latest report from the Healthcare Affordability Index,
which tracks how many in the United States have been

(03:47):
forced to avoid medical care or haven't been able to
fill their prescription in the last three months, and how
many would struggle to pay for care if it was needed.
Affordability has fallen six points six since twenty twenty two,

(04:07):
down to a record low of fifty five percent since
the index was first launched back in twenty twenty one.
According to the researchers, this descent mainly affects two age groups,
those age fifty to sixty four down eight points to

(04:28):
fifty five percent over the same period, and those sixty
five and older down eight points two seventy one percent. However,
The age group most struggling to afford healthcare is adults
under age fifty, with fifty three percent unable unable to

(04:53):
cover their bills, which is down five points from twenty
twenty two. The Healthcare Affordability Index is produced by west Health,
a group of nonprofit organizations, and a polling firm Gallup Poll.
The website is healthcare dot gov. It gives total monthly

(05:17):
premium and gives the amount of the subsidy if qualified
for a premium subsidy. Qualification for the subsidies based on
income and household size. So that website is healthcare dot gov. Now,
if you'd like to have some assistance, please give us

(05:38):
a call. We'll be happy to help you access that website,
or you can come to our office and we'll access
that website for you. Now, we don't represent healthcare or
the government at all. We are independent agents, but we
do help people have access to that website and help

(06:03):
receive assistance in paying those steep, steep monthly premiums today.
So give us a call. Call us at five sixty
three three three to two twenty two hundred, or drop
me an email. Go to my website, Go to dickshellig
dot com. Scroll over to the contact icon and drop

(06:25):
down for our email address, and we'll be happy to
send you an email and correspond with you in that manner. Okay.
So again, my phone number is five six three three
three to two twenty two hundred. You can call myself.
We can call Craig at that number and we'll help

(06:45):
you with that website. Okay. Now, I wanted to bring
to your attention another issue that still seems to be
active in our area, and that issue is on scammers,
particularly telephone scammers. Be aware of scammers pretending to be

(07:08):
Social Security. On January seventeenth, Jim Bordlin, who is the
APT Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications, published that we are
to be aware of scammers pretending to be from the
Social Security Administration. So in this digital age, frauds and

(07:30):
scams are an unfortunate part of doing business online. During
the holiday season, Social Security has traditionally seen a spike
in fishing scams, and we want to protect you as
best we can by notifying you of these scams that
are going on. The scamps are particularly increased during the

(07:55):
holiday season, but the ongoing year round. We urge you
to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information
such as your Social Security number or bank accountant information
to unknown individuals over the phone or over the internet.
If you receive a call and aren't expecting one, you

(08:19):
must be extra careful. You can always get the caller's information,
hang up, and if you need more clarification, contact the
official phone number of the business or agency that the
caller claims to represent. Never never reveal personal data to

(08:39):
a stranger who is calling you. Please take note there's
a scam going on right now. You might receive a
call from someone claiming to be from Social Security or
another agency. Calls can even display the eight hundred number,
the eight hundred Social Security number, the customer service number

(09:01):
as the incoming number on your caller ID, So in
some cases, the caller states that Social Security does not
have all the personal information such as your Social Security
number on file, so other callers claim that Social Security
needs additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment,

(09:25):
or that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they
do not confirm your information. Note that those kinds of
calls are scams. Now this appears to be a widespread issue,
as reports have come from people across the country. These
calls are not from Social Security, so callers sometimes state

(09:50):
that your Social Security number is at risk of being
deactivated or deleted. The caller then asks you to provide
a phone number to resolve this issue. People should be
aware of the schemes and details, and they may vary. However,
you should avoid engaging with the caller or calling the

(10:13):
number provided, as the caller might attempt to acquire personal
information from you. Social Security employees occasionally contact people by
phone for customer service purposes. In only a few special situations,
such as when you have business spending with Social Security,

(10:36):
then a Social Security employee may request the personal confirmation
information over the phone. Social Security employees will never threaten
you or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase
in INFRA in exchange for information those calls. The call

(11:01):
is in most cases fraudulent and you should hang up.
If you receive those calls, Please report the information to
the Office of the Inspector General. There's an eight hundred
number for that. That's eight hundred two sixty nine two
seven to one, or you can do it online as well.

(11:23):
Remember the only call official phone numbers and use secure
websites of the agencies and businesses you know are correct.
Protecting your information is an important part of social securities
mission to secure, to secure today and tomorrow. You know,

(11:47):
that's an important message. Remember our monthly community meetings are
coming up here in August their August twentieth. August twentieth,
that's a Tuesday. In August twenty second, that's a Thursday.
On August twentieth, at ten o'clock in the morning, Craig
talks about the basics of Medicare and then focuses on

(12:11):
the Medicare supplements that are available in these Medicare regions. Now,
remember there are ten Medicare supplements, and those Medicare supplements
are identical in terms of benefits from company to company
to company. What differs is the acceptance of that Medicare

(12:35):
plan by the provider, by the doctor, by the hospitals,
by the medical community. So make sure make sure that
you are aware of what is going on. So on Tuesday,
August twentieth, Greig talks about the basics of Medicare and

(12:57):
then focuses on the Medicare supplements. Two days later, on Thursday,
August twenty second, Craig again focuses on the basics of
Medicare and then concentrates on the alternative to original Medicare,
and that alternative is the advantage plan that's called Medicare

(13:18):
Parts C, the advantage plan, and in particular, what we
feel is the more competitive of the advantage plans in
these Medicare region regions, and that is the AAARP Medicare
Advantage Plan. Now, AARP is not the insurance company. The

(13:40):
insurance company is United Healthcare. AARP merely sells their logo
to United Healthcare, and United Healthcare has an exclusive as
an exclusivity agreement on the use of that logo for
their products that they offer. To learn more about Medicare

(14:04):
and to learn more about what your options are for Medicare,
give us a call, call us at five sixty three
three three two twenty two hundred, or email me. Go
to my website. Go to Dick Shillig dot com and
scroll over to the contact icon and drop me an

(14:24):
email and tell me about your situation. I'll be happy
to call you and we'll talk about your situation and
talk about these plans that are best for you. We
are independent insurance agents. We represent multiple insurance companies, and
we feel that the more competitive of the Medicare supplements.

(14:50):
I'm sorry I said that wrong. We feel that the
more competitive of the alternative to original Medicare is the
aa AR Medicare Advantage Plan offered by United Healthcare. Now,
the AARP Medicare Advantage Plan is underwritten and provided by

(15:11):
United Healthcare. AARP is not an insurance company. AARP merely
sells their logo to United Healthcare, and United Healthcare has
an exclusivity agreement on the use of the AAARP logo.
We feel that what is offered by United Healthcare is

(15:32):
the more competitive of the alternative to original Medicare. There
are pros and cons to original Medicare, just as there
are pros and cons to the advantage plans. We are
independent agents. We represent multiple insurance companies for both the
Medicare supplement and or the Medicare advantage plan. We feel

(15:57):
that the more competitive of the Medicare advantage plan is
the AAARP advantage plan that's offered by United Healthcare and
that is available in both in multiple Medicare regions in
Iowa and in Illinois. So if you'd like to know
more about these programs, let me encourage you to participate

(16:23):
in our Medicare informational meetings which are coming up here
on August twentieth. In August twenty second, on Tuesday, August twentieth,
at ten o'clock in the morning, Greg talks about the
basics of Medicare and then focuses on the Medicare supplement
plans that are available. On two days later, on August

(16:47):
twenty second, ten o'clock in the morning, again Greg focuses
on the basics of Medicare and then talks about the
alternative to original Medicare, and that native is the Medicare
Advantage Plan. And what we feel is the more competitive
of the Medicare advantage plans, and that is the AAARP

(17:12):
Medicare Advantage Plan, which is provided by United Healthcare. So,
if you'd like to have more information, I know, if
you are turning sixty five, if you are aging into Medicare,
my gash, you're being inundated with solicitation requests by multiple
insurance company my cash. There are ten Medicare supplements plans

(17:37):
that are available. We get to pick one of those
Medicare supplement plans. There are prescription drug plans Medicare Part D.
There are eighteen prescription drug plans available in these Medicare regions.
We get to pick one of those Medicare Advantage Medicare

(18:00):
prescription drug plans. Now, the alternative to original Medicare is
the advantage plan, and there are eight different Medicare advantage
plans in these Medicare regions, and we focus on what
we feel is the more competitive of those advantage plans,
and that is the AARP Medicare Advantage Plan offered by

(18:25):
United Healthcare. So, if you'd like to have more information
about either the Medicare supplements or the Medicare Advantage plan
and which is most appropriate for you, boy, these meetings
would be very very helpful. These meetings are offered virtually.
We used to offer those in those meetings in person,

(18:46):
but since COVID, we've been offering these programs virtually and
we are finding that offering these virtual programs are more
accommodating to our participate and we get much better. We
get more participation in these meetings virtually. So to receive

(19:10):
instructions on how to participate in these meetings, give us
a call. Call us prior to August twentieth prior to
August twenty second and ask for Craig, and Craig will
give you instructions on how to participate virtually in these
Medicare regions. You'll find those meetings to be very, very helpful.

(19:32):
And at the end of those meetings we have participants
that tell us, they say, now I understand. Now I
understand the choices I have with Medicare and the options
I have for different different selections of plans. So remember,

(19:53):
there are ten Medicare supplements and they are offered by
a lot of different insurance companies. Medicare supplement benefits are
the same. What difference what differs with the Medicare supplements
is the premium, first of all, and the acceptance of
that Medicare supplement plan by the medical community. So that

(20:17):
is very important that it is very important that you
understand what is involved with the Medicare supplements. In addition
to that, there are eighteen prescription drug plans, and we
get to choose one of those eighteen plans. And remember

(20:38):
there are differences in premium and differences in benefits on
those Medicare those Medicare prescription drug plans. Now, the alternative
to original Medicare is Medicare Parts C, and that is
the Medicare Advantage plans. There are eight different Medicare advantage

(21:02):
plans that are available in these Medicare regions. We feel
that the more competitive of the Medicare advantage plan is
the one offered by United Healthcare, and that is the
AAARP Medicare Advantage Plan. Again, AARP is not the insurance company.
The insurance company is United Healthcare. United Healthcare is the

(21:28):
largest provider of Medicare benefits in this country. So we
encourage you to look at United Healthcare and to look
at what they offer, both prescription drug coverage wise, Medicare
supplement wise, and also the Medicare advantage plans. There's a

(21:49):
lot to learn, a lot to know, and we'd like
to have you can join us in our plan and
be able to say what a lot of our participants
say when they attend these meetings, and they all say
the same thing. They say, now I understand what choices
I have with Medicare. In another note, we have completed,

(22:14):
of course, we have completed the barograph charts that we
have at the end of the second quarter of twenty
twenty four, and we have completed the Dow Index. Tracing
that history for the past twenty seven years, we have

(22:34):
completed the Nasdaq one hundred, as well as the Nasdaq
and the SMP index going back to twenty seven and
a half years ago. I use that date twenty seven
and a half years ago because it was about that
time that I was first introduced into the very very special,

(22:58):
very very special index annuity provisions in the indexinuity. Indexinuities
do not share in the downside of the market. Indexenuities
share in only the upside of the market. So if
the market, the stock market increases, then you will share
in that increase. If the stock market has a negative

(23:23):
it performs on the downside, you do not share in
that downside. You share in only the upside of the market.
So I encourage you to continue to look into that
choice that you have with the alternative to the stock market,

(23:43):
and that alternative is the re attractive indexinuities. We currently
have an indexinuity which is paying a thirty five percent
bonus on the money you invest thirty five percent bonus.
So that is a tremendous advantage of participating in these

(24:06):
index annuity programs. The index anuities only share in the
upside of the market. They do not share in the
downside of the market. So I encourage you to take
a look at those indexinuities. If you'd like to have
a copy of this bargraph chart that we have on
the performance of the Dow, on the performance of the

(24:27):
Nasdaq and the Nasdaq one hundred, as well as the
S and P five hundred, boy, give us a call
or email me. Call us at five sixty three three
three two twenty two hundred, or go to my website
go to dickshellig dot com and scroll over to the
contact icon for my email address and send me a

(24:47):
message via email if you'd like to correspond in that manner.
But I encourage you to obtain a copy of these
bargraph charts, especially if you are now aging into care,
because this provides a wealth of information for you. So again,
my phone number is five sixty three three three two

(25:09):
twenty two hundred, or email me by going to my
website go to Dickshilly dot com scroll over to the
contact icon for my email address. That's about all I
have for you this morning. Have a great, great weekend,
looking forward to talking again with you. Next week good
Day