Monday, September 24, 2012

Valuable Educational Programmes

Today's younger generation will grow into tomorrow's leaders and decision-makers - so it's important that youngsters have access to a range of quality education programmes - ranging from in-school curriculum to after-school and extra curriculum programmes. Moreover, it's vital that such programmes remain a part of a student's life all throughout their education - for example, into their college years - helping them gain valuable skills and knowledge, and ultimately empowering them to achieve their vision of a successful future.
The good news is, such programs are currently widespread through many schools across the nation - and they continue to gain strength. However, there are still many untapped resources available for students, parents and teachers to take advantage of - resources that are often made available through corporate companies, small businesses and organisations across the globe.
For instance, many companies have started extending education programmes dedicated to specific areas of study - for example, science, technology, engineering or maths. With a decreasing number of students choosing to study such options at school, exciting and diverse programmes are being developed to attract students to these realms on a long-term approach basis. Such specialised programmes not only set the foundation for a brighter future, they also inspire and engage students to grow into practiced young adults.
There are many other programmes which focus on pressing current issues - such as climate change and energy conservation. And it is programmes such as these that are helping many gain knowledge and awareness so that one day, they might be equipped to help tackle problems related to these issues. Many companies even develop competitions designed to challenge young ones to not only think about the ramifications of such issues, but to seriously consider solutions as well.
So how can more schools benefit from these programmes? It's often a matter of seeking out the programmes. In other words, the programmes are available but need to be requested by schools and education officials. However, it's not just up to them - parents can get involved too. Many parents rely on their child's school to source such programmes, when they themselves have a significant amount of say and influence with regard to what is implemented in the classroom. So parents - as well as schools - need to be proactive about sourcing effective educational programmes.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Investing Wisely in the Next Generation

Did you ever notice how the federal government seems to spend more time and money on education, but there seems to be more need for "Special Education"? How about the increasingly amount of adults that are considered unemployable do to lack of educational and social skills? These are not the consequences of an increasing population, a soft economy, or a lack of governmental involvement. These are the results of a generation whose concern is to provide a better way of life for their family at the expense of the family.
One of the requirements for my wife to graduate from the college she attended was to participate in an internship program for one full semester. She did her internship at a pre-school where she observed a generation of children who were being raised by teachers and teacher's aids. Though these children were preschoolers, parent teacher conferences were still held. Unfortunately the attendance from the parents was sadly low.
Daycare is certainly not bad things and in some situations they are needed. My wife and I on many occasions would help a single mom by having a child stay with us, some times over a weekend. Today these children have children of their own and interestingly enough after 30 years we occasionally receive comments of the impact my wife and I have had in their lives. But even relationships like these can never take the place of the unique bond between parent and child. 
It has been said, "Children are a heritage". Heritage is defined as; something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor. (Webster's Collegiate Dictionary) By definition it is easy to understand why there are so many struggling children in our educational system today. However, there is good news in all of this. There is a new generation of women who are choosing to be homemakers. Many are choosing to quit their jobs, even influential and high salary jobs, to stay at home and raised their children. Census bureau statistics show that there has been a 15 percent increase in the number of stay-at-home moms in the last 10 years.
There is also an upward trend among parents of introducing toys into their children daily play time that are specifically designed to foster cognitive and social skills as well as provide a foundation for sound physical and mental health. Although virtually any toy that a child engages will aid in their developmental training, educational toys by design, challenge critical thinking, expand imagination, enhance motor skills and promote learning while having fun.
The benefits of educational play during a child's early years can provide the stimulation and experiences that create a foundation of learning and growing. As more parents grasp the idea of educational play as well as increased personal interaction with their children, we will all enjoy the benefits. It is much wiser and cost effective to invest into a child's life today than to address the problems that could have possibly been avoided later in life.  
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Monday, September 10, 2012

Continuing Insurance Education

HOW DOES ONE PLAN FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A NURSING HOME?
People are living longer - surprise, surprise. This is the good news. The bad news is that because people are living longer, there are more ill older-generation people than ever before. Whereas people used to look forward to living long enough to retire at age 65, now they anticipate living for another 20-30 years. Now, when people think about getting older, they worry about what they will do in their "golden years."
Each generation is a little wiser than the preceding generation, and even though many of their worries are the same, the later ones have the advantage of building upon the knowledge of the previous generations. One thing that many - if not most - have learned is the need for planning. Many have seen family and friends become disabled because of illnesses or accidents in their later years, and they are also aware that there will be care needed for the older folks as their health deteriorates.
PLANNING, WHEN AND HOW?
Bill has just turned 65 and has retired. His wife, Ann, is now 63, and they have three children, all married with children of their own. Bill's mother typically outlived her husband, Bill's father, and has recently moved into an assisted living facility as she has difficulty in "getting around." One of their grandchildren is autistic and required a lot of attention from her parents - her mother had to give up working to take care of the child. Their son is struggling financially as he has two children in college, one of which will go to law school if there is any way that he can afford to do so. Their daughter has a happy family, with a good husband and three lovely children. All-in-all, each of their children is totally wrapped-up with their own family matters and Bill or Ann would not want to disturb those situations under any circumstances.
Bill remembers visiting with his grandfather in an "old folks home" when he was small and his memory is that the place where his grandfather stayed smelled "funny" and was full of people who seemed to have no place to go or nothing to do, and every visit was depressing. Bill decided that he never would go to a place like that to stay.
Ann's parents have a "plan" for such contingencies; one that they feel would serve them quite nicely. Her parents are in their early 70's and are just now 'starting to slow down." Her father has difficulties in walking any distances at all and her mother is terribly forgetful, so Ann must check on her parents very often. Their plan, which they have just now started to fulfill, is to sell their house - it is way too large for them now anyway. They want to be "independent" so they do not want to move to any kind of place that "does for them." They cannot stand the thought of not being independent. Therefore, they are planning on buying a small house or condominium in an area where they can walk to the grocery store, Wal-Mart and Applebee's. They will use the money that they get from the sale of their house so that they will not have a mortgage, and whatever is left over will provide additional funds to supplement their Social Security and a small pension that her father has. That, in a nutshell, is their plan.
For Bill and Ann, there must be additional planning because if either of them becomes incapacitated, they are going to have to take care of themselves, as they would never impose on their children to help, as they are all busy raising their own families. If they have sufficient funds to make it worthwhile, they could use the services of an estate planner so that the surviving spouse will not be hit with a large tax burden. Trusts could be established so that the funds will be used to the best advantage of each other and their children when they both pass on, or are not able to handle their own financial matters. Perhaps they may want to use the services of a financial planner also, especially if their income is derived from various sources or they are invested in the stock market or similar investments.
What does this have to do with Long-term Care Insurance (hereinafter referred to as "LTCI")? To jump ahead a little, in those situations where a financial planner or an estate planner becomes involved:
FT here have been, and will probably continue to be, lawsuits involved where a financial planner, estate planner, or sometimes, just an insurance agent - does not make the client aware of the availability and advantages of Long-term Care Insurance.
Heirs who anticipate inheriting sizeable estates will be quite offended if they learn that the estate has been diminished by nursing home and/or other long-term care expenses, and that the "professional" who assisted in the estate or financial planning, did not make the estate owner aware of such a program.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Obtain Free Education Grants

For the past years, the price of college tuition has significantly increased and continues to do so at astronomical rates. This is problematic because more and more people are experiencing financial difficulties as the result of our current economy. As such, it is getting harder and harder for students and families to afford a college education. The good news is that there are a lot of sources available. Among available sources are free education grants.
In fact, many families view education grants as the single best choice to cover college tuition because they are totally free and do not have to be paid back. In addition, they allow students who were not previously able to afford tuition to afford it. If you're looking for a free education grant then my advice is to apply for as many as you possibly can.
Since no education grant can be guaranteed, it is wise to apply for as many as you're possibly can. Some common education grants that you may apply for are the Pell, AC Grant and SMART Grant. In addition, you may also qualify for specific educational grants from the state where you live. Lastly, if you are from a minority group, you will have even more opportunities since there are a lot of organizations who are happy to help minorities.
Once you have this information, you need to next figure out how much you need to cover your tuition costs. Then, you will need to compile another list of available grants. To just know about the grants is simply not enough; you must take action - you must apply and you must do it early. Make sure that you converse with your financial aid office as well as view sites like grants.gov for available education grants. Then, take your time and fill out the applications to ensure that you can be considered in a timely manner.
By doing this, you will increase your chances of obtaining a free education grant and will be less likely to need a student loan to cover your college tuition. Good luck.