The Insurance Doctor

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  • 5 Tips to Save $$$ on Health Insurance

    5 Tips to Save $$$ on Health Insurance

    Yes, folks it’s that time again. Open enrollment time! Now you can enroll or switch group & individual plans, no questions asked.  Is the system broken, of course!  Follow these tips to save money on premiums and big claims.

    1. Call your important doctors now: Make a list of which company(s) AND networks they accept. Oxford has 3 NY networks Freedom, Liberty & Metro, big differences.
    2. Consider switching to from a PPO to an EPO or HMO: Do tip one correctly then you won’t need to go out of network. This will save you between 25-40%.
    3. Holistic folks: Choose a plan with a poor (Rx) drug card. You aren’t going to take pills so why pay for it?  This can save between 5-10%.
    4. Look at HSAs and high deductible plans: Look at the (MOOP) max out of pocket on each plan. Make sure you can afford to self-insure up to that limit on a big claim.  HSA’s allow you to pay for some items and deductibles with pre-tax dollars, saving 10-25%.
    5. Have your broker shop every year: Plans and premiums are changing in each state so fast. You need help to decipher these plan designs.  A mistake can cost you, your business and/or your family big money! [Ask Robert for a free health insurance quote here]

  • Come Join us at the Over 50 Fair

    Come join us at the Long Island Over 50 Fair on Sunday, September 30th from 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 

    On Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Robert will be sharing “How to get ‘FREE’ Merit-based Endowment Money from the College of Your Choice”. A must-attend for those with college-bound students!

    For FREE tickets contact Robert directly here.

    | More about the fair | Directions | Class Schedule | Tickets |

  • 6 Interesting Income Tax Facts You Didn’t Know

    6 Interesting Income Tax Facts You Didn’t Know

    When we were founded in the 1700’s there were very few taxes at all!  Up until 1802, the USA was mainly supported by taxes on goods like tobacco, sugar, and spirits.  War is what initiated the need for funds and taxes.

    1. War of 1812: A sales tax was first introduced in 1812 to cover war costs.
    2. 1862, middle of the Civil War: Congress introduced a personal income tax for the first time. People earning between $600-$10,000/year paid a 3% tax and those over the threshold paid a higher percentage.
    3. 1862 IRS Commissioner’s Office established: This gave the Commissioner powers to assess, levy and seize assets for those who didn’t pay their taxes.
    4. 1913 Income Tax System became permanent: Thanks to the 16th  By 1918 annual collections reached over $1 billion.
    5. 1986 Ronald Reagan signed the Tax Reform Act: This bill severely reduced personal income taxes and raised corporate taxes.  The maximum rate was reduced from 50% to 28%.
    6. 2001 George W. Bush signed the Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: One of the biggest tax cuts in history, this act introduced a new low bracket of 10%, increased the child tax credit, adjusted brackets for married folks and reduced the top 4 tax brackets.

    As we know, it was just changed again by President Trump.  No matter what happens going forward, taxes are here to stay!

  • 10 Reasons to watch O.J.: Made in America

    Tune in or set your DVRs for tomorrow’s airing!

    The O.J. Simpson story hits close to home for me. I was offered and accepted a promotion in 1991-96 to be a sales manager for Prudential in Buffalo, N.Y. Leaving NYC one would think that Buffalo would be a slow-paced sleepy city in comparison. During my 5 years there the Buffalo Bills made it to 4 straight Super Bowls, O.J. Simpson captivated the nation in 1993-1994 and Buffalo native Timothy McVeigh bombed Oklahoma City.

    Here are 10 interesting facts. 717PxaBorAL._SX342_

    1. In addition to a huge sports figure, this is a documentary about Race and Social Justice in America.

    2. The 7.5 hour 5-part Doc touches on O.J., the biggest trial of the century.

    3. Being half African-American and half Jewish, Director Ezra Edelman is uniquely qualified to address the subject.

    4. It’s being said this film is the most impactful and important film that ESPN has ever made.

    5. The Documentary explores the Simpsons, Race and the Los Angeles troubled history like nothing before.

    6. It’s being said that O.J. has the potential to affect the American conversation on Race in a way that few, if any films since “Roots”.

    7. Having lived in Buffalo from 1991-96 and knowing Ezra, this documentary connects with me like none other.

    8. Ezra is known for “Magic & Bird, A courtship of Rivals” in 2010 and “Brooklyn Dodgers: The Ghosts of Flatbush 2007

    9. A very good hoop player with Curry-like range and a step back 3 point shot, Ezra is not afraid to “trash talk” to you and certainly me during our games togehter

    10. He’s fun at cocktail parties!

  • 8 Reasons this was the Best NBA season ever

    2016 will go down in the history books as one of the best seasons in NBA history. Here are my eight reasons

     

    1. The Golden State Warriors break Michael Jordan’s Bulls sacred single season record going 73-9.insurance, New York, financial services, Queens
    2. LeBron James’ Cavaliers shock the world coming back from a 3-1 deficit and win the title, breaking the city of Cleveland’s 52-year city championship drought.
    3. MVP candidate Kevin “KD” Durrant signs a free agent contract with the powerhouse Warriors.
    4. The NBA salary cap rises a record 34% from $70-94 million due to TV revenues and a collective bargaining agreement that demands it gets spread to players.
    5. The salary cap increase will help small-market teams lure better quality free agents, however the better teams will be able to spend more as well.
    6. LeBron James and KD lead one of the most talented groups of free agents in one off-season all time.
    7. The large-market Knicks and Lakers are positioned going forward to actually be watchable.
    8. Jeremy Lin brings his “Linsanity” to the hapless Brooklyn Nets team. Where will LeBron James sign?
  • 5 Reasons to Visit Bend, Oregon

    5 Reasons to Visit Bend, Oregon

    Bend, Oregon1- The Outdoors: If you know only one thing about Bend, it’s that the city loves the outdoors. Located in the high desert at the foot of multiple mountains, there are outdoor activities in Bend year-round. Hiking, fishing, boating, skiing, cycling, running and camping to name a few.

    2- Breweries: Plenty of handcrafted beer brewers have sprung up in Oregon over the last decade, but Bend has truly led the charge with their immensely popular Deschutes Brewery, which was founded in 1988. Deschutes, which is now the fifth-largest craft brewery in the world. With 32 micro breweries Bend, Oregon has the most breweries per capita in the USA.

    3- Volcanoes: Bend, which is one of only three US cities to have an extinct volcano in its city limits, is largely built on the remains of centuries-old volcanic activity. Which means there’s lava rock all over the place and also a lot of historical information about volcanoes and even a pretty rad theater/bar called the Volcanic Theatre Pub.

    4- Dog friendly: People in Bend love their dogs. In 2012, Bend was rated the Dog Friendliest City, according to “Dog Fancy,” a publication that really knows dogs. The city earned the distinction thanks to its many off-leash dog areas, as well as pet-friendly businesses and establishments. Those who love dining alongside their neighbor’s dachshunds will get a kick out of the perpetual presence of pets.

    5- Business Opportunity: For years, optimistic economists have been predicting that Bend could be the next big place for entrepreneurs. Already, startups have begun to crop up, employing all the smart young folks in high-paying, emerging tech jobs. As the population tops 80,000 and housing prices continue to drop, Bend could be the next Silicon Valley.

     

    Contact Robert today for a free financial ‘check-up’.

  • UNICO: Service Above Self

    UNICO: Service Above Self

    I’m a proud member of Unico which is “the largest  Italian-American service organization in the USA. Unico is Italian for the word ‘unique’. Our credo is “Service Above Self”.

    Please watch this short video and consider supporting UNICO’s efforts to improve our valued veteran’s quality of life.

  • Happy Thanksgiving

    Happy Thanksgiving

    Wishing all of you the Happiest of Thanksgivings!

    These pictures are from our office window in Forest Hills.

    Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday with the three F’s:
    Family, Food & Football!

    Enjoy!

  • URGENT: Special Enrollment Period Ends

    URGENT: Special Enrollment Period Ends

    The Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for health insurance ends this Thursday April 30th.

    Most folks will have to wait until 10/1/2015 to enroll for coverage which starts on 1/1/2016 at the earliest.  That’s 8 months with no coverage!

    health insurance, special enrollment periodWhat is the ‘SEP” special enrollment period? It’s a time outside of the open enrollment period during which you and your family have a right to sign up for health coverage.

    In the Marketplace, you qualify for a special enrollment period 60 days following certain life events from an approved short list that involves a change in family status (for example, marriage or birth of a child) or loss of other health coverage.

    Contact us here if you or loved ones are in this predicament as we have options to get immediate coverage.

    Please Note: It’s too late to avoid the “2015 penalty” by obtaining coverage now.

  • Don’t Kill Your Retirement for your child’s college education

    It’s no secret. Funding your child’s college education can be a frightening endeavor at best. Unfortunately today many parents are forced to decide to steal from their retirement savings or take out a home equity loan to send their child to college. This has a crippling effect on the parent’s retirement and may endanger the chances of the second and third child to go to the best school they can get into.
    college endowment funding free moneyHere’s the truth. It doesn’t have to be this way. There is a huge difference between student financial aid, loans and grants/endowments (free money). The sad fact is 95% of parents and guidance counselors are chasing after 5% of the money available. Good news. There is a better way. Learn how to extract free money from the schools themselves instead who are often sitting on billions of dollar in endowment funds. Here is one example of recent award letters received by one of the students I was privileged to help who enrolled in our coaching program.