| Less-expensive term insurance the way to go
Dear Bruce: I read your column every week, and I am impressed by your knowledge. That is why I would like to get your feedback on universal life insurance. I met with representatives from a financial institution, and they were pitching this type of insurance policy for $600 a month. The $500,000 policy has investment options, I can withdraw money without getting taxed until my death and my family gets the insurance money plus whatever value on the investments (tax-free). I am 46 years old -- is this a good investment for me? Or should I get a term-life policy for $500,000 with premiums of $50 a month, and invest the $550 ($600 minus $50) in my 401(k) or annuities? I was thinking of refinancing my current fixed-loan mortgage to an interest-only loan and withdrawing some cash to buy another house.
MMA Meddling Leaves 35 000 Without Health Insurance
Bureaucratic wrangling and obstruction by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and the Finance Ministry, both headed by Gasim Ibrahim, have left the governments army of nearly 35 000 civil servants without any health insurance. The International Medical Group (IMG), which signed an agreement with the government in June last year to provide its employees with health cover, ceased paying out on claims on Friday, after the MMA rejected its application for a general insurance licence. That leaves all Maldivian civil servants with no provision by their employer, the government, to help them in the event of health problems. They will have to fall back on the welfare system. Previously the government provided a stipend of Rf. 250 every three months as a health allowance. Many workers did not even realise this was a medical allowance, and almost none put the money aside in case of emergency.
Rodeo opens 50th season Friday
It was not supposed to work. Only when Neal Gay went broke believing it would, did most people think it would end.They were half right.The Mesquite Championship Rodeo opens its 50th season Friday. Neal Gay, the man who had a vision for a weekly rodeo in Mesquite, nearly did go broke and often was but his dream never died.Gay will return Friday to produce his 50th rodeo season in Mesquite, where his invention of a weekly rodeo has grown from a novel concept into a niche. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctions 700 rodeos. Mesquite is the only weekly rodeo sanctioned."It was rough in those early years," said John Painter, spokesperson for the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. "There was no roof and no Interstate-635. Even then, though, it was the only thing there was with a western feel in Dallas.
A Sense Of Humor And Two Simple Words Equals Happiness
Two Canadian women wanted to visit their new American boyfriends. They asked their friend Harry Gross to drive them from Montreal to Hartford, and they didn't offer Harry a dime for gas. The trip took 13 hours each way. The payback: When they arrived in Hartford, their American friends would find Harry a date.
"I was free. I didn't have a care in the world. I had no one to answer to," says Harry, a 25-year-old bachelor at the time who worked in a hardware store and lived with his parents.
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Property owner says association is effective
When Ron Fraze moved from his West Coast home into a rural subdivision outside of Columbus, regulations were the last thing he wanted to live by. "I was one of the biggest rebels against the (homeowners association) board," he admits. In the 12 years since, his tune has changed. In fact, for the past four years, he has served as the association's president. "All in all, I think it makes better neighbors," he said. "Because, no matter where you live, there are laws to follow." Over the years, Fraze and former president Gene Aubrey have served as the sounding board for homeowner complaints that run from grazing to snow removal. They have also worked closely with board members to build on the strong groundwork laid by their predecessors. For any subdivision, the strength of its homeowners association rests with the will of the people involved.
Report: Kevin Durant Will Declare for NBA Draft Next Week
It's good news in Boston and bad news in Austin as DraftExpress.com is reporting that Texas freshman sensation Kevin Durant has decided to declare for the NBA draft and will make his announcement at a news conference next week.DraftExpress.com cited "multiple sources, both from the NBA and close to the player himself" in its report.Durant, the first freshman in college basketball history to be named player of the year, is widely expected to be the second player chosen in this year's NBA draft, after fellow freshman Greg Oden, the Ohio State center. That means the Celtics, who have the NBA's second-worst record and are therefore the most likely recipients of the second pick in the draft lottery, are a likely landing spot. Durant has already cost NBA executives $60,000 in fines, with half of that going to Boston's Danny Ainge, who sat with Durant's family during the Big 12 tournament.
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