Category Archives: Insurance

Council, Insurance

long-term care insurance

As Thanksgiving approaches at the end of the month, I like to take stock of all the things I’m thankful for. It’s easy to say family and friends, those are blessings; and we sometimes take them for granted…but how about the little things in life. It might be that smile you get from person who hands you your cup of coffee in the morning, it may be relishing the crisp air on an autumn day. It may be a simple stroll in the park marveling at God’s nature abounding. Maybe the joy of helping an older neighbor with a chore. All little things to be thankful for.

When I think about helping older neighbors I often wonder just how many members have taken advantage of help that they might need as they age. Some won’t be able to do the simple activities of daily living. They’ll need assistance, and with our mobile society may not have a relative nearby to help. That’s where our Knights of Columbus Long Term Care Insurance plan might help.

Many people don’t know how a long-term care insurance policy helps cover the costs of care when the policy holder has a chronic medical condition, a disability or a disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease. You can receive care in your home, a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or an adult day care center.

LTC insurance helps protect all those assets you’ve worked so hard for over the years: your house, IRAs, savings, investments. They could all be wiped out with even a short stay in a nursing home. The website: https://longtermcare.acl.gov/costs-how-to-pay/costs-of-care.html says that Home Health Care costs about $22/hour, Assisted Living Facilities about $4,245 per month and Nursing Home $85,000 per year. More expensive areas of the country are more than that. Without LTC insurance many families would face a serious financial crisis.

Most people aren’t eager to talk about long term care; but it’s important to have a plan. Many people want to wait until they are in their 60s or 70s before they start to consider long term care. But at younger ages it’s more likely you can qualify…and the price is less expensive when you’re younger.

I can help design a plan to fit your needs…and your budget. With that you can have peace of mind that you will get the care you need, when you need and where you want it.

Let’s talk and see how you can protect your assets.

Vivat Jesus!
Greg Bronson, FICF, FSCP
(530) 503-7473
Greg.Bronson@kofc.org
www.KnightGreg.com

Council, Insurance

We Stand on Ethical Ground

Some people believe that ethics in business is a contradiction in terms. They think that in order to be profitable, a company and its leaders must abandon morality and embrace the dark, greedy side of capitalism.

At the Knights of Columbus, we know this business model is incorrect. As a Catholic organization, we understand the value and importance of our core beliefs and the original mission of Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney. In fact, much of the strength and financial security we provide to members and their families can
be attributed to our ethical, moral standards.

More than 96 percent of Knights who buy our life insurance keep it, year in and year out. The Order takes this commitment to our members very highly. This means carefully planning when it comes time to invest. Our professional staff researches all transactions to insure that they fall in line with Catholic values. If a transaction
makes them uncomfortable, they don’t make it.

“We exclude any company engaged in activity that conflicts with Catholic moral teaching: companies directly involved in abortion, contraception, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, for-profit health care that pays for any of these, or pornography,” said the Supreme Knight. “There are many companies in the pharmaceutical and communications industries that would undoubtedly provide excellent returns for us, but which are not in our portfolio because they engage in research and development or programming in ways that violate the sanctity or dignity of human life.”

In the end, the Knights of Columbus investment strategy is motivated by morality and not money-making. Yet, each year we remain profitable, increase our assets and stay dedicated to this vision that will keep the Order sound financially for generations to come.

“Faithful Catholics have choices when buying life insurance,” said the Supreme Knight. “But they know that at the Knights of Columbus their policy is supplied by an insurer that shares their moral and ethical values and is guided in all of its investment and sales practices by those values.”

To learn more about our products, contact me today.

Vivat Jesus,
Howard Tank (CA License #O117393)
Supreme Field Agent
(530) 346-3016
howard.tank@kofc.org

Insurance

Knights of Columbus Insurance September 2018

Recently, I lost a dear friend of mine. He had a small life policy with another company under $180,000 in value. A small retirement fund that he was putting money into. My friend a lifelong Catholic,  Brother Knight, passed away at the age of 58. Most of us would consider this too early for the Lord to call someone home but
unfortunately we have no control over his plan for any of us. A lot of the Brother Knights I visit feel they are set. This week I had an appointment with a Brother Knight who knew about our appointment but wasn’t there. He left the entire meeting up to his wife because he had to plan out some cooking event! My time is valuable and so is yours. I set time aside from my work and family to help families plan so they do not end up in the same predicament as my friend did.

The Brother finally showed up as his wife and I concluded our meeting. She told me that he took the 50% pension option at his job. I asked her what she was planning on doing when her income drops off by 50% when he passes. There was a deer in the headlights look. She remained silent. I informed them that there are two options. One is life insurance to create pension to replace the one from his job and the other is a settlement option on his retirement funds which will provide guaranteed income with no market risk.

Keep in mind that we take on market risk when we are trying to grow our money prior to retirement. Once we are in retirement mode we want guaranteed payouts and limited or no risk as we will need those funds to get us through retirement in case the good Lord doesn’t call us home early.

In closing, my friend has four kids, two adults and two minors. His wife will reach the “blackout period” with social security survivor benefits on three of those four kids. She will receive no survivor benefits until she is 60 years old (7 years) and only benefits on one of the four kids. How do you prevent this from occurring with your
family? You take 30 minutes out of your valuable time to sit down with me and learn how the Knights will help you in a Catholic way, a way our founder would be proud of. And not leave your family destitute.

Wishing you and your family members health and happiness in the years to come.

Vivat Jesus,
Howard Tank (CA License #O117393)
Supreme Field Agent
(530) 346-3016
howard.tank@kofc.org

Insurance

Retirement Balancing Act

Think of retirement as a three-legged stool. In order to maintain balance, you need all three legs… or there is a real possibility of a crash!

One leg consists of the benefits the government offers you.  Debate rages about the viability of future benefits, and my best advice is to stay tuned to the discussion and make sure you are aware of what is planned for those benefits.  Any change in future promises should be accounted for when we get to the third leg.

The second leg is your company’s pension plan, either defined benefit (such as a traditional pension: you work so many years and the company provides you with so much monthly benefit) or defined contribution (such as the popular 401K plans).  Some of these plans, particularly traditional ones, are under stress, have been frozen or pared back.  Learn how yours works; read the plan description; stay on top of the news coming from the company.  On the 401K side, become a good investor.  Teach yourself the fundamentals of good diversification and know how much you have and when you will need it.

Finally, the third leg is the saving you do yourself, and this is the only aspect you can control completely.

Everyone needs this third leg. It consists of the money you personally set aside on a disciplined basis to help in retirement.  You don’t directly control government benefits and you don’t directly manage your company’s pension plan, but you must manage your money and your life.

Establish a retirement plan of your own. Here at the Knights of Columbus, you can open a retirement annuity for as little as $300.  Consistent and disciplined savings placed into that annuity over time can guarantee you an income that you cannot outlive at retirement. That’s right – guarantee you an income you cannot outlive.  That really will provide you with peace of mind.

As you ponder all the things that may not work out as you proceed toward retirement, think about the one thing you can do to help yourself.  It’s reasonably priced, guaranteed and controlled by someone you trust:  you!

God bless,
Philip De Leon (CA License #OK63623)
(916) 607-1645
philip.deleon@kofc.org
www.philbetterinsured.com

Insurance

Field Agent’s Corner September 2017

Brother Knights,

The Knights of Columbus was founded by the Venerable Michael J. McGivney 135 years ago and the legacy he left for each of us was the benefits of insurance. But, we are not just any insurance company. Each of our members means more to us than just being a customer. We are an organization that is family centric and based
on brothers helping brothers.

Plus, whether an active brother Knight is a participating member of the insurance program or not, each membership includes fraternal benefits. For example, did you know that each active Knight and his spouse are covered by an accidental death benefit? And each field agent is committed to providing survivor assistance to a
Knight’s widow and family members after the loss of a loved one.

The Knights of Columbus offers a very limited number of products designed specifically for our needs so that each of our insured may have peace of mind during every facet of life. Those products are permanent (whole) life insurance, temporary (term) life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care, and annuities.

The month of September is designated as Life Insurance Awareness Month – a great time for a life insurance check-up. So, if you just want to check to make sure you have enough insurance, update your profile information, verify your beneficiary designations, or you just want to get more information about the a certain insurance product, please call or email me to setup an appointment.

As our General Agent, Todd Cabral frequently reminds us, “We make miracles happen.”

God bless,
Philip De Leon (CA License #OK63623)
(916) 607‐1645
philip.deleon@kofc.org
www.philbetterinsured.com

Insurance

Field Agent’s Corner – August 2017

First, on behalf of the Cabral Agency, I wish to congratulate the newly elected Grand Knight and Officers for Columbian year 2017-2018.  I look forward to seeing you all at the next General Assembly meeting.

This year has already started with great sadness with the loss of our beloved Past State Deputy Charlie Clark.  In my own home council, Mother Seton 6922, we lost three brothers  in July, one of whom was our most recent and much beloved Past Grand Knight, SK David Santos. 

Most of you at Council 953 are also aware of your own recent loss, Brother Alvin Miller.  It is a reminder that we just never know when Jesus will call us home.  May we continue to pray for the happy repose of our dear fraternal brothers’ souls.

With their passing, I remind you that each of them leaves behind a family and in some cases,  a widow.  As brother Knights, we should be mindful to  continue to support their widows and families.  That could be as simple as visiting them from time to time, praying for them and by inviting the widows and surviving children to our family events.

Finally, remember that our organization is all about brothers helping brothers.  Never  forget  that Fr. Michael J. McGivney left a legacy exclusively for the members of the Knights of Columbus and that is the very foundation upon which our fraternal organization was built.  It is my job to make sure that I illustrate how that works.  If you have never met with me, allow me to meet with you and your spouse for an hour.  It will be time well spent … much better than watching TV for an hour.

May God bless us all in this new Columbian year 2017-2018.

Fraternally,
Philip De Leon (CA License #OK63623)
(916) 607-1645
philip.deleon@kofc.org
www.philbetterinsured.com