Life insurers have two objectives: to convince customers of the need for life insurance in the first place, and to convince consumers that their company’s offering is worth the cost and effort involved in securing coverage.

The U.S. economy plunged at an unprecedented rate this spring and even with a record rebound expected in the just-ended third quarter, the U.S. economy will likely shrink this year, the first time that has happened since the Great Recession.

The record-high unemployment rates resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in millions of Americans losing employer-based health insurance. The pandemic may lead to a political landscape that moves away from the employer-based health insurance model and toward a Medicare buy-in, or a form of public option, one expert says.

The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden deteriorated into bitter taunts and near chaos Tuesday night as Trump repeatedly interrupted his opponent with angry— and personal— jabs that sometimes overshadowed the sharply different visions each man has for a nation facing historic crises.

Democrats are confronting the limits of their power as they fight against the nomination and some have said they won’t meet with Barrett, who is expected to be swiftly confirmed for the seat held by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by the end of October.

Sep. 29– With the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg earlier this month, and a case that could undo the Affordable Care Act coming before the Supreme Court in November, the issue of health insurance has taken on fresh urgency for political campaigns as well as people affected by the 2010 law sometimes called Obamacare. “We have to confront the fact that there's a…

—The solid growth that the United States enjoyed before the viral pandemic paralyzed the economy this spring failed to reduce racial disparities in Americans' income and wealth from 2016 through 2019, according to a Federal Reserve report Monday. The survey found that income for the typical U.S. family rose 5%, adjusted for inflation, from 2016 to 2019 to…

President Trump said Sunday he feels like he’s gotten rid of Obamacare because the individual mandate penalty for shirking insurance was zeroed out by the GOP-controlled Congress three years ago. But much of Obamacare remains intact after Mr. Trump and Republicans failed to repeal and replace the law after taking control.

In a survey Monday, Gallup asked adults in all 50 states whether the federal government is trying to do too much, or if it needs to do more to solve the largest problems. The poll showed that 54% said it needs to do more. Gallup said the survey marked the greatest majority since it first asked the question in 1992.

The U.S. economy has recovered about half of the 22 million jobs lost during the depths of the coronavirus shutdowns, but uncertainty over the presidential election and the timetable for a COVID-19 vaccine is causing a slowdown in hiring and business investment, economists say.

More than three-and-a-half years into his presidency and 40 days from an election, President Donald Trump on Thursday launched what aides termed a “vision” for health care heavy on unfulfilled aspirations. But Democrats, who are betting heavily that they have the edge on health care this election season, are not impressed.

At a news conference, Trump outlined what he called his America First Health Care Plan. Instead of proposed legislation, Trump’s plan relies on a number of executive orders that he said would deliver “better care and more choice at a lower cost.”

America is not that far removed from a time when trust in government polled at 77% positive, author Jon Meacham said, citing Gallup polling from the early 1960s. Certainly the country faced serious issues, Civil Rights foremost among them, but the widespread wealth enjoyed by the middle class made change easier, he said.

The American Psychological Association reports that more than 1 in 3 Americans say COVID-19 is having a serious impact on their mental health, while more than half of Americans believe the pandemic has had a serious impact on their daily lives.

In dozens of conversations in battleground states since Ginsburg’s death of cancer Friday, the bitter debate over the court was buried under a pile of other, more pressing concerns. Most voters were quick to name health care, the economy and personal complaints about Trump, a Republican, and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, as driving their votes.

Nearly half of parents (46%) said childcare is a barrier to retirement—a 6 percentage point increase since Q1, before the pandemic, and 20 percentage points higher than the total population. Almost half of parents (45%) have dipped into their retirement accounts early, compared to just 32% of the total population.

The national health care discussion is shifting from COVID-19 to the Affordable Care Act after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The opening leaves questions of how a newly-appointed high court judge would rule in a case that challenges the constitutionality of the health care law.

Most Americans view the nation’ s economic situation as bleak, but a rising percentage also see signs of stability six weeks before Election Day— if not reasons for optimism. According to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 60% of Americans describe the national economy as poor and 40% deem it good.

According to a survey, nearly half (49%) of employees said the pandemic has been a wake-up call to invest more time researching and selecting the best coverage options for their situation. This represents a significant shift in employee behavior considering a vast majority of employees (92%) choose the same benefits year after year.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hammered President Donald Trump and leading Senate Republicans for trying to rush a replacement for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as pressure mounted on senators to support or oppose a quick vote to fill the seat. As the Senate returned to Washington on Monday, all eyes were on Republicans.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 60% of health outcomes are the result of social determinants of health such as economic strain, food insecurity, housing instability, social isolation and poor health literacy. These social risk factors in people’s lives create significant impacts in their health outcomes, utilization patterns and costs.

The NAIC Executive Committee established the special committee this summer and gave it four charges and instructions to report back by the end of the year. Ray Farmer, South Carolina insurance commissioner and 2020 president of the NAIC, said the work will take much longer than that.

Researchers estimate 1.9 million adults became newly uninsured from late April through mid-July. Conducted by researchers at the Urban Institute with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the study analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.

Right now, the U.S. economy is far from healthy and inflation has been relatively subdued in recent years, which can hurt growth. This has prompted the Federal Reserve to pledge to keep interest rates at basically zero until at least through 2023 and try to spur inflation by allowing it to rise above the 2% sweet spot it targets for the economy.

With the COVID-19 news better, the economic recovery remains on track, albeit with some areas of concern. One worth watching is consumer confidence and spending, with signs of weakness. Financial markets continue to show turbulence, as investors process the headlines. Let’s take a look at the details.

Whether it’s life insurance, annuities, stocks, bonds or any other product, contract or construct, the need for or desire to own the products you sell relies on your client’s perception of the current and future tax implications. And the tax code is a rapidly moving target.

Biden’s public option would be an option similar to Medicare that would reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers with better coordination between a patient’s doctors to improve quality of care, and would cover primary care without any copayments.

The state supreme court heard arguments last week in Citizens Property Insurance vs Manor House. The latter is an apartment complex that was damaged extensively by Hurricane Frances, which ripped through Florida in early September 2004. Several courts have heard the plaintiffs claim for reimbursement of lost rental income.

New findings from Northwestern Mutual’s 2020 Planning& Progress Study reveal that 84% of U.S. adults aged 18+ expect the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn will have an impact on their ability to achieve long term financial security. Six in 10 say that impact will be moderate or high.

When we focus on our closes, we’re chasing commissions, not building our business. We spend time with prospects who will never buy from us because we’re afraid – afraid we’ll lose something we don’t have. What would Tom Brady do?

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s tax plan could significantly change taxes– higher income tax rates, higher capital gains rates, fewer deductions, and an aggressive estate tax. However, to get his tax plan passed if he is elected in November, Biden would also need Democratic control of the House and Senate.

Federal Reserve policymakers will meet this week for the first time since they significantly revised the Fed’s operating framework in ways that will likely keep short-term interest rates near zero for years to come. But the statement that Fed policymakers release Wednesday is expected to contain revisions that reflect sweeping changes.

Republicans and Democratic House members are far apart on an agreement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has continued to push for a more expansive bill but has agreed to scale down the size of the package to about $2.2 trillion, while Republicans have supported a measure worth a little more than half that amount.

Across the U.S., courts so far have sided mostly with insurers after businesses claimed the pandemic interrupted their business and insurance should cover it. But thousands of cases are still pending, including dozens in South Florida, and a single judge’ s ruling in a case in Missouri have given businesses confidence in a new strategy.

While the president and Congress get most of the attention in Washington, the Federal Reserve also wields substantial power, especially over the economy. The Fed uses its buying and selling of financial securities to move interest rates up and down. Even the president and Congress can’t do this.

Senate Democrats scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus rescue package on Thursday as the parties argued to a standstill over the size and scope of the aid, likely ending hopes for coronavirus relief before the November election. Democrats said the measure shortchanged too many pressing needs.

The latest figures released by the Labor Department Thursday coincide with other recent evidence that the job market’ s improvement may be weakening after solid gains through spring and most of summer. The weakening signs are emerging just as Congress remains unable to agree on further economic relief.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is hiring Evelyn Boswell as the company’s newly created diversity, equity, and inclusion director. The diversity effort “reinforces the NAIC’s commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace,” the association said in a news release.

President Donald Trump has authorized a temporary break on some federal taxes deducted from paychecks, but the plan to boost workers’ pay during the pandemic is gaining little traction in Maryland and elsewhere. Others still are evaluating whether to temporarily stop withholding the 6.2% Social Security tax on payroll.