Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

By Keith Bunn Jr.

We've all heard the saying, "Patience is a Virtue" and that is absolutely right, especially when it come to our finances.

It is so easy for us today to spend more than we make. With just a swipe or wave of a card, its yours! Easy as that! Even with a debit card, (which are OK by the way) its easy to get yourself in trouble with overdraft charges if you're not careful. And the banks and the stores we shop at are counting on our lack of patience, and our ability to impulse our butts off, to make more profit on the interest we owe on those cards then if we were to buy the same stuff with cash.

True Story

Here is an example and a true story of this very thing... 

Julie and I were in line at Sam's Club to checkout, when Julie noticed the lady behind us had a bunt cake in her cart. Julie said to the lady, "That bunt cake looks good." The lady replied, "Doesn't it? And I got it for free!" 

The first thing that popped into my head was, 'I want a free cake'. And as if Julie read my mind, as she often does, she asked the lady, "How did you get a free cake?" Right then, the lady got kind of excited to tell her story, "Well, I was walking around the store, putting stuff in my cart when I realized, I didn't have enough cash on me to pay for it all. So I came up front and signed up for the Sam's credit card and they gave me a free cake just for signing up."

I immediately started convulsing a little bit. That lady had just risked her financial future for just a few items in her cart and a bunt cake! Now we didn't know anything about that lady. She may have paid off the balance right a way, cut up the card and closed the account. I don't know, but chances are, she didn't.

Having Patience is even Hard for Us

Some people have more patience than others, we all know that. Being patient is not something we're born with, it is something we learn. It is even hard for us at times. Julie is a HUGE giver, which is awesome, but if someone she is close to says that they like something, if we're not careful, she'll buy it, even if it's not in the budget to do so. I'm kind of the same way. I like to get our grand kids the toy superhero masks you can buy at most stores today, and just the other week, I saw a Spider-Man mask for $11. Spider-Man is one of my grandson's favorite superheros and I know $11 doesn't sound like much money, but we didn't budget for it. I was seriously debating on whether or not to get the stupid mask. I looked at Julie and she said. "Its up to you." I thought about it for just a moment more and decided not to get it. I know someday, I'll find that very same mask on clearance or in a yard sale for cheaper than $11. I know our patience will pay off one day. Not just so we can buy our grand kids toys, but so we can live comfortably in our golden years, and leave an inheritance to my children's children of both knowledge and money.

Why I Do This

The reason I do this is to inspire and give hope to people. To make them think about their finances, whether they are young or old, so they can win financially.

If you find any of this information useful, please share it with others. You can also find more money news, facts and ideas, on my Facebook pages. I'd be grateful if you followed me. Thank you!

Credit Cards for Gas Usage

Credit Cards for Gas Usage

By Keith Bunn Jr.

I was asked a question the other week about using credit cards for gas usage. If it was a good idea or not, if you get the 5 to 10 cents off per gallon and pay them off right away. Well, if you've following me for 30 seconds, you'd know that I absolutely hate credit cards! I think credit cards are nothing more than legalized "Loan Sharking".

But I have to admit, I really didn't have a good answer to the question other than, "I hate credit cards!" So seeing that the person's question was about a specific local grocery store/gas station credit card, I went and got the application and read it over.

Information Found

After reading over the information on the application, I came to find out that there are 2 different cards. A regular one that is nothing more than an in store credit card that could only be used in the grocery store or gas station and the other one is a Platinum Master Card which can be used anywhere that takes a Master Card.

The in store card has an annual percentage rate (APR) of 26.99%, but it also says, "This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate." The Platinum card has 2 different types of accounts, which are based on your "creditworthiness". Type #1 has an APR of 19.99% and type #2 has an APR of 23.99%. And again it says, "This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate."

And just like any other credit card that is out there, there are fees you must pay if you're late making a payment. And for both cards it could either be a $25 to $35 late fee.

I know what you're thinking, "This is all fine and dandy, but you won't have to pay any interest or fees if you pay it off each and every time it's due, like the question was asked." And you would be right "IF" people paid the cards off when they were due. And that's a big word, "IF".

You Have to do the Math

Statistics show us that only 55% of credit card holder pay their cards off each and every month. So that means 45% don't. So by someone thinking, "I'll get the card to save on gas and pay it off right away." doesn't always happen that way. I know we plan on doing things a certain way, but life sometimes steps in and screws up our plans. Job loss, someone gets sick, a death in the family, etc... can all happen and cause us to lose sight of our goals.

Let me explain it this way... On an average fill up, you'll be saving 75 cents (.05 cents per gallon) when you use either one of the cards talked about above. And if the grand total you had to pay was $40 and you put that on your gas credit card and didn't pay it off at the end of the month, at best, you would have to pay $75 for the same amount of gas that would have cost you $40. At worst, you would have to pay $86. Over double the cost for the same amount of gas. By not paying off that monthly credit card bill just that once, you'll have lost every once of savings you signed up for in the first place.

Now I don't know about you, but I get gas every other week. So if I were to use one of these gas credit cards, bought my gas for the month and forgot or couldn't pay my bill at the end of the month, I would then have to pay between $121 to $137 for $80 worth of gas. Folks, that's just screwing up once. Imagine doing that month after month. You can see how much that adds up. So again, using credit cards for anything, even just for gas usage, in my opinion, is not a good idea.

Something to think about

When any store, company, or institute offers you some kind of rewards program, look it over first before signing up. Do the math if necessary to really see if it is a good deal for you or for them. There can be good deals out there if you look for them. They've not all disappeared yet, even for gas usage. So look for them and just don't take things at face value.

Why I do this

The reason I do this, is to inspire and give people hope. To make people think about their finances, whether they are young or old, so they can win financially.

If you you find any of this information useful, please share it with others. You can also find more money news, facts and ideas, on my Facebook pages. I'd be grateful if you followed me. Thank you!

Are You Cheating Financially

Are You Cheating Financially

July 18, 2016

Have you ever signed up for a credit card, or a loan and didn’t tell your spouse about it? How about stashing cash and not telling them? If you have, for whatever your reason was, you have committed what is popularly called Financial Infidelity. Why call it that? Because the emotions that surround money issues can be just as strong as matters of the heart and when trust has been broken in your household finances, the emotions that come from that are as if you have cheated on your spouse.

These emotions are both strong and real and they can be felt by BOTH spouses. The ones who have done the deed can feel a strong sense of guilt from hiding this issue and because they know their significant other will be mad and probably not understand why they did what they did. The significant other can feel hurt and betrayed, thinking, “If they have hid this from me, what else have they been hiding?”

The first thing that has to be done if you have committed financial infidelity is tell your spouse the whole truth about what you have done. I know it will be a scary thing to do, but it has to be done. No healing can take place until this is done. If you’re the other spouse, the first thing you have to do is show some grace! I know you feel betrayed, hurt, and all that, but it has to be done. No healing can take place until this is done.

After that is done, you may need to seek out marriage counseling, because at the core of this, this is a break down in the marriage, not in the finances. You BOTH need to find out why this happened and begin the healing of your marriage so this doesn’t happen again. For a short time, the guilty party probably shouldn’t handle the household funds. Only after some time, and once some trust has been established again, can they handle some of the funds. Then when trust is fully established can they have free rein again.

Now one of the reasons this whole mess happened in the first place is because there was no budget meetings taking place. Think about it. If both parties sat down and did a budget together, each of them had a vote on what to do with the money, gave every dollar a name, they both knew how much money was coming in and going out, there would be no way to have this kind of money issues.

Also, during the healing process of both your marriage and money, the one who committed the financial infidelity must have a vote in the household budget meetings. This is also part of the healing process. This will be a difficult time for the both of you but only with time, patience, love, will you get through it.

Teach your Kids to Work

Teach your Kids to Work

July 4, 2016

Kids have to be Taught

I have posted it many times. Kids need to learn how to work. On top of that, they need to know that money comes from work, NOT from some government program.

Well, to put my money where my mouth is, we have started to teach our grandkids this important lesson. We started with the containers that they will be putting their money in. We bought a couple of clear containers and a few stickers (what kid doesn’t like stickers?). We put their names on them and they did the rest. They had so much fun. We chose CLEAR containers so that they can SEE their money grow as they earned more. Once they were done decorating, the work begun!

Getting their hands Dirty

Their job was to help me plant grandma’s Gladiolus bulbs. I did the hardest part of raking back the bark, turning up the dirt, and putting the edging in. Once that was done, I explained and showed them what I wanted them to do. We planted about a dozen (plus or minus) bulbs and put the bark back, making grandma happy. My grandson even made the comment, “That was good hard work!”

When the work was complete, we put the tools away, had lunch and then we explained what their containers were for and then we paid them for their work. We then talked about what they wanted to get with their money once they earned enough. Kortnee wanted Anna and Elsa dolls from Disney’s Frozen movie and Cooper wanted a Batman doll. We explained that all that was fine as long as they earned enough money to get them. They were excited for the chance to earn more money and save for what they wanted.

Loaning or Borrowing Money from Family and Friends

Loaning or Borrowing Money from Family and Friends

June 27, 2016

Have you ever loaned money to a family member or a friend? What about borrowing money from them? We have done both and it didn't really do anything to help us but boy did it add more stress to our lives. It added stress by having to ask for the loan and paying it back or for us asking for repayment after loaning others money, and it does strain the relationships we have in our lives by loaning and borrowing money. The bible says that the borrower is slave to the lender, and after being on both sides of that coin, we know that to be a true statement!

So if you truly cherish the relationships you have, don't jeopardize them by loaning or borrowing money. It's not worth it!!

Hey, If you haven't done so already, check out our Facebook page. I share all kinds of money tidbits there that you may find interesting. Hope to see you there!

The Two are United into One

 The Two are United into One

June 20, 2016

Some events have come about, some recent, others not so much, that made me think I should write this particular blog post. And although this post isn't going to be solely about finances, money does play into this based on the fact that money issues and money fights are the #1 cause of divorce in the U.S. today.

In the Late 90's

My ex and I were officially divorced. It was a very painful time for me. And after some grieving, I began to think about what went wrong. Were there any warning signs I missed that would have told me that my marriage was going sour. And years later, I know now that there was plenty of blame to go around. You see, we fought all the time. And not just about big issues, but about small ones too. We were also not truthful to one another either. Even though we were married, it seemed like we were living separate lives. And that's no way to live or have a marriage.

So once I decided to get married again several years later, I made the conscience decision to be an open book in ALL areas of my life to my new bride. I wasn't going to keep any secrets, I wasn't going to lie, I wasn't going to be sneaky or deceitful. And most of all, I wasn't going to argue about every LITTLE thing that happens. I do stand my ground on matters that I think are important, and so does she, and believe me, we have had our share of some good fights, but we worked them out by communicating and compromising with each other.

By doing all that, we have built a relationship based on a solid foundation where we know that we have each other's backs about EVERYTHING. So when I see other couples, married or about to get married, hiding things from one another, all I see is an unhappy marriage that will ultimately lead to a divorce. The bible says it this way, "At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." Genesis 2:23-24.

I have said it many times, you and your spouse are a team. You need to love, work, live, and act like it all the days of your married lives. And if you're not willing to do that, you don't need to be married. It's not fair to you or your spouse.

Hey, If you haven't done so already, check out our Facebook page. I share all kinds of money tidbits there that you may find interesting. Hope to see you there!

You Have to Start NOW

You Have to Start NOW!

June 6, 2016

Planting a Tree

I don't know if you've ever head this question before... "When is the best time to plant a tree?" Answer... "20 years ago." Why? Because, depending on the tree, it takes about that long before you get a beautiful, mature tree. Here's a follow up question... "When is the second best time to plant a tree?" Answer... "Today." 

Investing for Retirement

The same is true with retirement savings. The best time to start saving was 20 years ago. But if you're just now getting started, today is the second best time. In this post, I'm going to show you some numbers that will show you why you need to get started on retirement savings as early as possible.

The Numbers

The type of savings plans in this post are going to be generalized. I'm just going to show the significance of what saving long term looks like. 

Let's say you're a 20 year old, just starting out in life. The company you work for has a retirement savings plan like a 401K or 403B. You start modestly saving $50 per month, and the investments you choose, gives you a rate of return of 10%. If that's all you do for savings, this is the result.

In 10 years you will have 

$10,778

In 30 years

$110,311

In 40 years (you'll be 60 years old)

$296,637

That's not a lot, but it's better than nothing at all. Now, let's run that same scenario again, but this time instead of saving $50 per month, we'll double it to $100.

In 10 years

$21,297

In 30 years

$218,877

In 40 years

$588,748

This isn't too bad. You could possible retire comfortably on this amount, but let's take it one step further. The average household income in the U.S. is $50,000 per year. And it is recommended that you start saving 15% of your income into retirement savings. That would be $625 per month. So let's run those numbers.

In 10 years

$131,743

In 30 years

$1.4 million

In 40 years

$3.7 million

Wouldn't that be an awesome retirement? But I know what you're thinking, "Keith, there is no way a 20 year old, just starting out in life, can save that much in the beginning."  And you know what? You're probable right. But the whole point to this post is to START SAVING what you can TODAY. Maybe all you can do now is save the $50 per month, but as your life goes on, your income will increase and so should your retirement saving. To use my wife and I as an example, any increases we get in our pay, goes towards retirement savings. Even a 1 or 2 percent bump in retirement saving can add up greatly over time. So don't rob yourself by saying, "I'm young, I have time". Because the truth is, there is no better time than NOW to start saving for your retirement.

Hey, If you haven't done so already, check out our Facebook page. I share all kinds of money tidbits there that you may find interesting. Hope to see you there!

Life Insurance and the Sick and or Elderly Part 3

Life Insurance and the Sick and/or Elderly 

Part 3

May 30, 2016

Part 2

In Part 2, I went over why cash value policies are a rip off and why it is best to buy term and invest the rest. This week, is probably not going to be one of my most popular posts, because I'm going to go over what I think you should do if you're too old or too sick (currently or from a past illness) to get term life insurance.

Age Limits

It is true, with all term policies, there are age limits to who is insurable. These limits vary form company to company, so if you're looking for a policy, check to see if you are insurable due to your age.

I also have to tell you that the older you get, or the closer you get to those age limits, the less insurance you'll be able to get and the more expensive they will be.

Here is an example of what we sell...

For an 80 year old non-smoking male (our age limit) wanting a $100.000 policy. He can only qualify for a 10 year policy for $606.50 per month. That's a lot of money!

Too Sick

Also, if you're too ill or had an illness or medical event take place that the insurance company would deem too risky to insure you, you maybe be uninsurable to get a term policy. Now, depending on the illness or medical event, all you may have to do is wait a period of time (sometimes a few years) between the time of the illness or event to pass before you're insurable again. If you get denied a policy, ask the agent if this is a permanent thing or if you have to wait before trying again. They should be able to get that information for you. Also shop around. Just because one company won't insure you, doesn't mean another won't.

My Thoughts

This is where things will probably get unpopular. This is strictly my opinion so take it as you will...

I had mentioned in Part 1, that the main purpose for life insurance is to replace lost income due to death. Well, if you're too elderly or too sickly to work, replacing income isn't going to be the purpose for you getting insurance. You're getting it to cover the cost of your burial.

So again, this is my opinion. If you're willing to pay extra for a cash value policy or an expensive term policy, I suggest saving that money in an account somewhere and self-insuring for that event instead. Even if you're not too ill or elderly to work, but are uninsurable, I'd do the same thing. And have that account earmarked as your funeral fund. I would also let whoever is going to be in charge of your burial know about the account and what it's for.

Folks, in the little research I've done on funerals and what they cost, depending on what your wishes are, a typical funeral can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to up to $15,000. Depending on your age and/or illness you may have, you can self insure for your passing.

I do have to mention though... when you're young, healthy, and "Bullet Proof", you don't think of these things. YOU NEED TOO!!! No one who was elderly or having a terminal illness ever said, "I wish I had never bought life insurance." No one has ever said that! And having the coverage at an affordable rate is ideal. You are then passing on the risk of your death onto the insurance company instead of taking it on yourself. Something to think about.

If you have any questions on this matter, please contact me at bunncapitalchoice@gmail.com. I'd be happy to help!

Hey, If you haven't done so already, check out our Facebook page. I share all kinds of money tidbits there that you may find interesting. Hope to see you there!

Life Insurance and the Sick and or Elderly Part 2

Life Insurance and the Sick and/or Elderly 

Part 2

May 16, 2016

Last Week

Last week, I talked about what life insurance is for. That it's primarily for replacing lost income due to death. I also explained that there are basically 2 types of life insurance on the market today (Term and Cash Value) and the difference between the 2. I also mentioned that as a life insurance agent, I ONLY recommend and sell Term Life Insurance even though I have been challenged a few times on what kind of life insurance someone should get if they were sick or elderly. And lastly, at the end of the blog, I mentioned that ALL cash value policies are a complete rip off. Here's why.

Why Cash Value is a Rip Off

The reason I say they're a rip off is because there are only 3 ways you can have access to the cash value portion of those policies. 1) You reach 100 years old. 2) You cash out the policy. And 3) You take out a loan on it. Which you DO have to pay back. If you don't pay it back, the insurance company will take what is owed out of the death benefit once you die.

And here is the biggest reason why cash value policies are a big rip off. When you die, the insurance company KEEPS the cash value portion and only pays out the face value (death benefit) of the policy. How is that right?


Buy Term and Invest the Rest

Another way insurance companies push these cash value policies is that they emphasize the cash value as a way to "Save For Retirement". So let's look at that a bit. I got quote for a whole life policy from a nationally known insurance company and compared it to a term policy from another nationally known company, I would sell.

I based both policies on myself. A 50 year old, non-smoking male, wanting a $50,000 death benefit policy. As you can see below, there is a huge difference in the monthly cost.

Whole Life       /    10 yr Term 

$109 per mo.    /     $22.70 per mo.

A difference of $86.30. That's huge! Even if I were to bump the term policy to a 30 year policy, I wouldn't even come close to the monthly cost of the whole life policy ($43.77 per mo.) So what would happen if you bought the term policy above and invested the rest outside the insurance company? $86.30 at a 10% rate of return for 35 years (30 to 65 years old) would be just over $311,165.

Now you're probably thinking, "How much is the cash value making?" Even though the nationally known insurance company did not give out the rate of return in their quote, all cash value policies have a horrible rate of return. Just a little better than CD rates (which are between 1.05% - 1.35%). So I gave it (this is a guess on my part, not factual) a 3% rate of return. For the same 35 years, it would be just under $64,736. A difference of $246,429. So which one would you pick?

Part 3

Again, I hate to leave off on sort of a cliffhanger, but there is still a lot of information on this topic and I don't want to leave any of it out. I also don't want to make this post really long. So we will pick up where we left off here on May 23rd.

Hey, If you haven't done so already, check out our Facebook page. I share all kinds of money tidbits there that you may find interesting. Hope to see you there!

Life Insurance and the Sick and or Elderly Part 1

Life Insurance and the Sick and/or Elderly

Part 1

May 9, 2016

What is Life Insurance For?

Life insurance is used for many things. It can be used to pay final expenses, for an inheritance, paying burial costs, etc... But the primary reason for life insurance is to replace income due to death. 

With that being said, I have been challenged a few times on what kind of life insurance someone should get if they were sick or elderly. You see, as a life insurance agent, I ONLY recommend and sell Term Life Insurance. And if you're really sick or elderly (mid 70's or older) you're not going to be able to get term insurance. Let me explain why.

Term Insurance 

Term insurance is insurance for a specified period of time or term. Example, a 20 year term policy is only good for 20 years. A 30 year policy is only good for 30 years, and so on. Once those terms are up, you are no longer covered.

Normally, when you apply for a term policy, there is a medical exam and questions about your's and your family's medical history will be asked. The only exception to this is when you get life insurance through your employer. So, if a red flag pops up anywhere during the exam or medical history, you may not be able to get insurance, but that is the underwriter's job at the insurance company to decide.

So the challenge to me was, If someone is too sick or elderly to get term insurance, wouldn't a Cash Value life insurance policy be better to get? Before I answer that, let me explain what cash value policies are.

Cash Value Insurance

Cash value policies are a life insurance product that have a savings account built into it. These policies have many names. Whole Life, Variable Life, and Variable Whole Life. All three of these policies are a bit different from one another, on what they can and can't do, but in all, they are pretty much the same.

Normally, when you apply for these type of policies, there are no medical exams or medical questions asked. And as long as you pay the premiums, the policy is in effect until you reach 100 years old. Plus, as I said above, it builds cash value over time, from which you can borrow from if needed. Sounds pretty sweet doesn't it? Why wouldn't anyone want to do this? It's because it's a big rip off!

Part 2

I hate to leave off on sort of a cliffhanger, but there is a lot of information on this topic and I don't want to leave any of it out. I also don't want to make this post really long. So we will pick up where we left off here on May 16th.

Hey, If you haven't done so already, check out our Facebook page. I share all kinds of money tidbits there that you may find interesting. Hope to see you there!  

Work Ethic is a Learned Skill

Work Ethic is a Learned Skill

April 25, 2016

Teaching the Next Generation

When I was growing up, if I wanted to get some candy or a toy, my mom and dad didn't always get it for me. It's not because they didn't love me or they didn't want me to have such things. It was because we were a family of 6 and they had to prioritize between what we needed and what we wanted. And that's one of the things that made them great parents.

I can remember to this day my parents telling myself and/or my siblings that if we wanted something that cost money to get it, to go out and do something to earn the money. So my brother and I would wash cars, rake leaves, shovel snow to earn $5 or so here and there. Those were stepping stones to what later came in our adult lives. The work we do today in order to help support ourselves and our families.

It is a Skill that is Taught

We spend years teaching our children as they grow up, most of the things they need in order to function in society today. We teach them to walk, talk, feed themselves, bathe, brushing their teeth, clean their rooms, mow the grass, reading, writing, math, spelling, and the list goes on. 

But there is a skill they absolutely need to guarantee their function in society today. What is it? It's Work Ethic. This is a skill that is learned like everything else and it is absolutely vital in today's world and I'm not sure it's being taught today as much as it should be. To give you an example... I once worked at a place where ever so often, I would work double shifts in order to earn extra money to get things I wanted or do things I wanted to do. After one shift was done, I had to work with a guy who was just about half my age. He was always complaining about how tired he was, how hot it was, and/or how hard the work was. One day, the next shift barely started and he started complaining. It had already been a long day for me and I had, had enough. I said, "Do you realize I have already put in 8 hours of work in this hot factory, doing the same stuff you're doing? I'm tired too! You're half my age! You should be running circles around me right now." He didn't say anything in return, and needless to say, he didn't last much longer there before he was let go.

But I haven't seen all negative things when it comes to the young adults today and their work ethics. I have seen some young people who really can run circles around me. And that's because someone in their lives taught them how to have a good work ethic and that money comes from work. The mom, who's little boy is in the above picture, was selling lemonade at a garage sale this past weekend, had taken the first steps in teaching her son to have a good to great work ethic. And her son was tickled to death to be selling lemonade. Saying, "Does anyone want some lemonade?"  and "I'm the lemonade guy!" when people would walk up to the sale. The last I knew, he had earned about $20 before he had to go home to take a nap. That was a pretty good haul for that little guy. But the biggest value he got out of the whole thing (if the mom keeps teaching him) wasn't the amount of money he made, but the experience making the money. That was priceless!

So parents, and even grandparents, please start teaching your kids how to work and that that's where money actually comes from. It will go a long way when they are older.

What about You?

What were some of the lessons you learned when you were growing up and who taught them to you? Share your experiences below.

Toujours Prêt

Being Prepared

Being Prepared

April 11, 2016

We the People

As a veteran, I believe wholeheartedly in the Constitution of the United States and what it says in it. So as my right to Bear Arms, laid out in the Second Amendment, my wife and I applied and received our concealed carry permits this year. It was a whole new learning experience. Learning the laws both at the state and federal levels on what we can and can't do is continually an ongoing process. And so far, we have not had any issues and the whole experience has been a positive one.

Now you maybe asking yourself, "What does any of this have to do with finances?" And the truth is, it has A LOT  to do with finances. In fact, more so than I originally thought.

Being a Responsible Gun Owner

A person who conceal carries has a lot of responsibility to do things right. And just recently, I learned that even if I have done everything right and not fired a single round, I could still find myself in a whole heap of trouble and that can be very costly. It could even become a bankruptable event. With all the people who are against gun ownership, from the politicians in Washington, to the common Joe on the streets, there are a lot of people who are looking to make an example out of someone even if they were right and justified in what they did or where they went with their firearms.

What to Do? 

So with all this bureaucratic crap going on, is it really worth owning firearms, let alone getting a conceal carry permit? That is a question only you can answer. For me, that answer is definitely Yes. 

When it comes down to it, I am the first line of defense in protecting my family. Oh I'll call 911 and let them know that something is going on and we need help, IF there is time to do so, but it is my responsibility to protect my family.

So what is a responsible gun owner to do to protect themselves against the people who are against them and what to make them out to be the bad guys? Well, I just recently discovered a company called U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). And as an insurance agent and understanding that all forms of insurance is meant to transfer risk from you to the insurance company if a major financial event were to take place, this looks like an ideal program for the gun owners in this country.

Now I want to make sure you all know this before I continue. I'm a licensed LIFE insurance agent ONLY ! I get NO commissions or kick backs from USCCA by telling you any of this. As a responsible gun owner, financial coach, and insurance agent, I'm just trying to teach you of the financial ramifications of what could happen to you if you were justifiably protecting your family and get in trouble doing so and what you can do to protect yourself. This is something I didn't think about before we applied for our permits.

The Plans

USCCA has 3 coverage plans available. A Silver Plus, Gold Plus, and a Platinum Plus. The plans cover from $250,000 to $1,000,000 in Civil Suit Defense and Damages, $50,000 to $100,000 in Criminal Defense Protection and Instant Attorney Retainer, $2,500 to $10,000 in Immediate Bail Bond Funding, $250 to $500 per day in Compensation while In court, Critical Response Team 24/7/365 Immediate Assistance, Complete Attorney Coordination Local Referral Within 24 Hours, Psychological Support Post-Incident Counseling, and a subscription to Concealed Carry Magazine.

Each plan is, in my opinion, is very affordable. The Silver Plus plan is $13/mo or one-time annual payment of $147, the Gold Plus plan is $22/mo or one-time annual payment of $247, and the Platinum Plus is $30/mo or one-time annual payment of $347. And there is no wait period for your plan to take affect, it starts immediately. As you can see from the numbers above, using a firearm of any kind to protect your family can be costly. So it is a great idea to protect yourself if you find yourself in a bind.

If you think about it, we protect ourselves with insurance for our homes, cars, etc... why wouldn't we protect ourselves when it comes to this? Even if you don't have or don't plan to get a concealed carry permit, but do own guns, this is a great idea... in my opinion.