Medigap and Florida Supplemental Insurance

Financial consultant Brad Liebe is the owner of KK and B Financial Services for Seniors in Fort Myers, Florida. In his role as a financial consultant, Brad Liebe assists his clients with choosing financial products that can help them prepare for retirement, one of which is supplemental insurance. Medigap, as it is more commonly called, is supplemental insurance purchased through private insurance companies.

Medigap is intended to fill gaps that are not paid through Medicare. In addition to extra costs for services and supplies, Medigap can pay for co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles. Depending on the policy, some provide for coverage for things that Medicare does not cover, for example for medical care for when traveling outside the US.

For a person to participate in a Medigap plan, they must first have Part A and B of Medicare. Moreover, Medigap is not the same as Medicare Advantage, and it is not legal to sell a person a Medigap plan if they have a Medicare Advantage plan. The monthly premium is paid alongside the premium paid for Part B of Medicare, and the policy covers one person.

Other guidelines provide stipulations for covered expenses. For example, a person can renew their policy, even if they have health issues. Moreover, some plans cover prescription drugs, but many plans that were created after January 1, 2006, do not include this coverage. Instead, the person can join the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan D.

In Florida, the plans are similar to those of 47 other states in the country. Participants can enroll in plans with designated letters A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N, and regardless of where they get their care in the state, the benefits are standard across the state. Open enrollment begins the day a person reaches 65 or older, and a person cannot be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Municipal Bonds - A Tax-Free Stream of Income

Brad Liebe, the owner of KK and B Financial Services for Seniors, assists his clients with all matters related to wealth management. As a financial consultant, Brad Liebe also provides seminars on several topics, including creating tax-free income streams.

One tax-free income stream is the municipal bond. Municipal bonds are often called the triple-tax-free bond because they are exempt from federal, state, and city taxes. The state, county, or city issue these bonds, and the revenue is used to fund public goods or services (i.e. roads and schools).

Consumers benefit from utilizing municipal bonds in a few ways. The issuing tax authority backs the bonds in good faith and credit. The revenue generated from the bonds is not taxed, hence the label tax-free income. Moreover, while the yield of the bond is a little bit lower than other investment types, they are a relatively safe way to invest money in a diversified portfolio.

However, as with all investments, there are a few catches. For one, some bonds might not be exempt from some taxes. Then, there is the alternative minimum tax, a tax that prevents certain types of tax deductions and shelters. Those considering investing in municipal bonds should research the return amount and applicable taxes to determine if municipal bond investing is worthwhile.

Venison for Thanksgiving?

Deer
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A motivational speaker and owner of KK&B Financial Services for Seniors, Brad Liebe, has fond memories of Thanksgiving. However, Brad Liebe’s memories center on family, friends, and deer, not turkey. He was raised in Waupaca, Wisconsin, and a Thanksgiving Day tradition there is going deer hunting.

Deer hunting in Wisconsin is divided into separate seasons, for example, archery season, which occur at different times of the year. Hunting with a gun, or “gun deer season,” is usually allowed from mid-to-late November until early December. Of course, this is in line with Thanksgiving Day, so many people have grown up with the idea of hunting deer on Thanksgiving Day.

This is not to say that people are giving up the family ties and bonds of friendship that are always renewed and strengthened during Thanksgiving. During Wisconsin’s gun deer season, those bonds and ties are just in a different environment. Many people like to get together with family or friends and share a rooming cabin, eat a nice breakfast, pack a lunch, and go hunting. Some might just go out in the morning and try to get back in time for the afternoon feast. Those who stay in the cabins or just don’t make it back in time for the meal can usually find a local eatery that is serving Thanksgiving dinner and still get their fill of the holiday trimmings if they wish. However, for a lot of people across the upper-midwestern states, Thanksgiving isn’t the same without a good deer hunt.

Managing Public Speaking Anxiety

Brad Liebe, the owner of KK&B Financial Services, helps clients identify their financial goals and obtain various retirement products. He provides financial information through one-on-one consultations and group seminars. Skilled in public speaking, Brad Liebe presented motivational seminars with Rick Olson Seminars for several years.

Regardless of how skilled you are at public speaking, there will always be situations that make you feel nervous. Fortunately, this anxiety is manageable.

One way to manage public speaking anxiety is by being well-prepared for your speech. If you can, choose a topic that interests you, or present the topic in a way that excites you. By being enthusiastic, you’ll interest your audience in your speech.

Another way to manage anxiety is by changing the way you think about public speaking. Don’t expect perfection from yourself, and recognize that everyone makes mistakes. Focusing on mistakes magnifies your imperfections in your mind and makes you even more nervous about exposing them to an audience. 

In addition, you should not equate public speaking with your self-worth. Public speaking is only a small part of your life and has little or no impact on the way others see you in other aspects of your life.

Finally, prepare a dialogue instead of a monologue. Dialogues are better for speeches because they engage the audience and grant you opportunities for small breaks. These breaks can give you a chance to take a drink of water, take a deep breath, or get your anxiety under control before you continue.

The Difference between Immediate and Deferred Annuities

The owner of KK&B Financial Services for Seniors, Brad Liebe provides financial consulting and estate planning services to clients through seminars and private consultations. Licensed in California, Wisconsin, and Florida, Brad Liebe also offers various financial and retirement products to clients, including annuities.

An insurance product, an annuity is a contract between an individual and an insurance company. Two main types of annuities are available to choose from: immediate and deferred. Both types can provide a continuous stream of payments, and both allow for unlimited contributions. However, they function in distinct ways.

With an immediate annuity, individuals pay their insurance company a large amount of cash upfront. This lump sum is immediately converted to an income stream, and the individuals start receiving monthly payments in one to 12 months. These payments stop when the individual who set up the annuity dies.

Deferred annuities, on the other hand, can be set up with either a lump sum or in several payment plans. Unlike immediate annuities, deferred annuities do not begin paying out shortly after being set up. Individuals defer payout to a future date.

Deferred annuities are best for people who have maxed out their contributions to tax-advantaged accounts, such as a 401(k). Heirs may also benefit from a deferred annuity since the plans pay a death benefit of the amount remaining.

Estate Planning Then and Now

With close to a decade of experience in the field of financial services, seasoned businessman Brad Liebe established KK&B Financial Services for Seniors, where he also serves as president. In this capacity, Brad Liebe provides financial consulting and estate planning for seniors.

Twenty years ago, the individual federal estate tax exemption was at $600,000 and the estate tax rate was at 55 percent. Couples could opt to combine their trusts and, in turn, enjoy twice the federal estate tax exemption - that is, $1.2 million. By simply owning a home, some investments, and life insurance, one could accumulate an estate. Also, over the last two decades, passing assets to heirs did not require the intervention of the probate court, which happens when the deceased family member leaves a last will and testament. Instead, the revocable living trust has been preferred, a document referred to as a probate-avoidance tool.

Fast forward twenty years to the present time - the individual federal estate tax exemption is now $5.43 million. Couples can still choose to double the exemption for a total of $10.68 million. Plus, the estate tax rate dropped to 40 percent. Probate-avoidance tools such as payable-on-death bank accounts may also be established.

Because of these current trends, estate planners tend to focus on more relevant concerns. One is the increase in the income tax rate from 35 percent to 43.4 percent, which tends to negate the drop in the estate tax rate from 55 percent to 40 percent. Also, the long-term capital gains tax rate increased to 23.8 percent from 15 percent. Because of these changes, estate planners are looking for new ways to minimize income taxes as part of their estate planning strategies.

Navigating Immediate and Deferred Annuities

Brad Liebe is a Fort Myers, Florida-based financial executive who coordinates with retirees in providing health care and insurance solutions that enable them to achieve comfortable lifestyles. Among the coordinated products Brad Liebe offers are long-term care, Medicare supplemental insurance, and annuities.

Annuity products represent contractual arrangements through which insurers receive upfront premiums in exchange for future payments. This arrangement provides retirees with a source of guaranteed income that helps avoid the volatility of market swings.

There are many types of annuity products available, including immediate annuities, through which insurance companies begin providing payments immediately after receiving the lump sum principle. Interest rate sensitive, they provide significantly larger payments when the rates increase.

Deferred income annuities are similar, except that the payouts begin when a specified age is reached. They are commonly used as a way of minimizing longevity risk, as the supplemental income may kick in at age 80 or 85, when it's most needed. Because of the deferred nature of the product, with many holders not surviving to receive substantial payments, the payout is often much higher, although it is susceptible to interest rate fluctuations.

As mentioned, one downside is that such products are typically based on the lifespan of the beneficiary, which means that the annuity premium can be lost in cases of earlier than expected death. One way to avoid this is to set up a case-specific insurance rider for the contract, which can be provided for a premium.