As I've mentioned before , my dear dad was a financial planner who got his career started by selling disability and life insurance. That means he was really well prepared for his regrettably short retirement and for his estate. One of the wonderful gifts he left for myself and my sister was a life...

We have several discussions going on the Affordable Care Act and what it means for us. We are hearing a lot about this state exchange and how it will help us. But what does it mean? What is a state exchange? State exchanges will be set up to organize the health insurance market place. You will be able...

Photo courtesy of Ultra-lab J and I are both near-sighted. To the point where if one of our pairs of glasses falls off the bedside table in the night, we have to enlist the other find them. We're talking about Velma from Scooby Doo level of myopia here. We have been lucky to have vision insurance...

If you have a mortgage on your home, probably. If you don't, maybe so. Flooding is considered one of the most costly and common disasters in the U.S. It effects any area that has rivers, lakes, ponds or can back up with rain. Essentially, if there is water, you could be at risk. You can't rely...

Photo courtesy of Rude , whose name must mean something else in Slovenian. Today, J and I will be meeting with our financial advisor to finally hammer out the details of my life insurance and J's disability insurance . True to procrastinating Mensch family form, J looked up the details of his life...

The United States Supreme Court Justices are now evaluating the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In view of this, I think now is an appropriate time for everyone to tune in and review their own current health care coverage. We all need to understand the cost and the benefits. If you have questions...

For many years, I resented the need for insurance. Granted, I always knew that it was necessary and a very worthwhile expense. I just hated the feeling that I was sending my money to insurance companies in the form of premiums, knowing that the only way I could "win" the expense back was for...

Although the link may stay the same, I've renamed my blog. Since we lost our homestead (the the homesteading spirit is still quite alive within) and I do tend to cover more topics than the homesteading mindset, I felt that the name "Simiply Basics" was appropriate. Some of us have chosen...

There are multiple ways for the aging population to save money to make their financial situation easier and less stressful. One area most people miss is saving on bundled services. Bundled services fall into different areas. One area is for telephone services for the home phone, cable and/or the internet...

"The health care bill was primarily about insurance reform and coverage, not health care delivery reform." This statement was made by Jamie Orlikoff, of Orlikoff and Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in healthcare issues. He addressed a gathering of community leaders in Rapid City...