Flying solo on benefits

My head is in the clouds today and it made me think about my first solo flight in an airplane. I think this has a great analogy of how most of my clients feel when they leave their employer with all of the great benefits or they leave their home country and they are now responsible to take care of their own benefits.
When learning how to fly you spend a good portion of your time in ground school learning the basic maneuvers and rules you need to follow and then you get a few hours in the air with your instructor showing you the ropes. Once the instructor feels you have mastered the basic skills, he lets you go up and take the controls by yourself. It can be extremely scary with just a few hours of experience. The amazing thing about the experience is how much you remember the teachings from your instructor as well as the radio to signal to other traffic. It all ties together and you make it safely.
Unlike flying an airplane, people aren't really taught much with regards to what to do with their own benefits. All most people know is they need health insurance. The government tells everyone to go to a website, but the instructions are shotty at best and the overwhelming amount of choices can leave one's head spinning. That's where your benefits broker comes in to be a help as you get off the ground running. They have been there before and know how to instruct you and get you the right plan. They won't be the ones using the insurance, but they are there to help coach you on how to use it, even well after the sale.
Did you even ask about other benefits? One of the most common forgotten items is retirement. I honestly don't think most people want to work until the day they die and I am sure they don't want to solely be living off of social security. The way around this is to start saving early. every little bit counts. There are hundreds if not thousands of books out there about becoming rich by just saving $25-$100 a month. Have a 401k form an old company? Roll it over to a program that you can continue participating in (watch out for fees though.) Have a financial advisor you work with? Great! Make sure your benefits person knows this, because retirement plans do affect some of the health ins benefits with regards to financial assistance and make sure your advisor and benefits broker are truly working in your best interest and not just trying to sell you the hottest new product. They will typically ask more questions of you and actually get to know your situation.
besides retirement, you can also extend all of this to even more benefits. Imagine a world o possibilities. Disability insurance (for when you crash the plane and can't work), life insurance (for when you crash the plan and don't come back, your family needs the financial support), vision and dental insurance.
So the point of my whole blog is to get you connected with your benefits flight instructor (ahem, *me*) and get prepared to soar to new heights in your business.
Nevada benefits 9505 Hillwood Dr Ste #100 Las Vegas, NV 89134 (702)258-1995