Now that 2009 has ended and Congress has not acted, there is no federal estate tax?for now at least. This development leads to a number of questions. Will Congress reenact the estate tax in 2010?

Rep. Sander Levin, the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is hoping to do something about the federal estate tax when the House returns from its Easter recess.

There's depression and then there's depression. I talk to a lot of people who are being treated for mild chronic depression or situational depression and the truth is that from a life insurance underwriting standpoint, there's not a lot of risk. We've placed plenty of cases in those categories at preferred or preferred plus rates. [...]Post from: Ed Hinerman On Life InsuranceIs Depression A Life Insurance Risk Factor?

We all know the clichés surrounding change. Change is hard. Change is another word for opportunity. Change is inevitable. Change hurts. Change is for the best. Etc., etc. Put simply: change, whether for good or bad, is uncomfortable. And under the legislation passed by the House of Representatives yesterday, change is coming to the health [...]

When I think advocate, I think, "Yes, someone who can help take some of this weight off of me. Someone who has the experience and the knowledge to get me through this". I remember sharing my experience with the ADA, American Diabetes Association, a few years back when I posted on one of their forums just [...]Post from: Ed Hinerman On Life InsuranceAren't Advocates Supposed To Be Helpful?

Simple Insurance have launched a new Carvan Insurance offering policies covering both Static Caravans and Touring Caravans. Figures issued by the National Caravan Council claim that there are 335,000 UK owners of static holiday homes and a staggering 498,000 owners of touring caravans. On top of that there are an additional 112,000 motorhome owners, making this [...]

Health care reform was passed by Congress today. It?s as simple as that. And as complicated. The legislation will do far less than either its proponents or opponents claim. But the legislation will change the insurance industry. It will begin to address some of the drivers of skyrocketing medical costs. It will aggregate more power [...]

[Full Disclosure: This post is about the 5th Assembly District. The leading Democrat in the race, Larry Miles, is a Trustee on the San Juan School Board, an attorney, mediator and my close friend for over 35 years. I?m actively supporting his campaign.] Regardless of whether health care reform passes the House of Representatives this weekend, [...]

Presidents propose, but Congress legislates. At the end of the day the President either signs or vetoes what comes to his desk. No rewrites allowed. Which, according to the Associated Press, is one reason why some of the promises President Barack Obama has made lately won?t be a part of the health care reform package [...]

Long gone are the days of US Financial Life Insurance and their clinical underwriting that gave so many clients competitive rates, rates they really deserved, within 6 months of an angioplasty or bypass surgery. While those are tough shoes to fill, other companies have managed to fill the void and, within certain parameters are able to [...]Post from: Ed Hinerman On Life InsuranceMatters Of The Heart!