Stroke of Midnight 2010. A Matter of Life and Death?

It’s a human tragedy when a terminally ill patient’s life or death struggle comes down to how much they will pay in estate taxes. But that is the unintended consequence of  what could happen  at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2010 when changes in federal tax law dictate  that the estate tax will disappear for one year.

One wealthy, terminally ill real-estate entrepreneur told his doctors he is determined to live until the estate tax law changes. “‘Whenever he wakes up,’ says his lawyer, ‘He says: “What day is it? Is it Jan. 1, [2010] yet?’”

Starting Jan. 1, the estate tax — which can absorb up to half of a wealthy person’s estate — goes on hiatus for a year (UNLESS reinstated by Congress before the year is up, which can make it retroactive back to January 1!). For families facing end-of-life decisions in the immediate future, the change is making one of life’s most trying episodes considerably more taxing, emotionally and in every other way.

Read how it happened and what you can do about it? >>>

Life Insurance for Grandparents?

As we prepare to turn the calendar page at year’s end, and commence a new chapter at the opening of a new decade,  Father Time reminds us of something important.  Life insurance serves many families as the financial binding  in the “book of life,” connecting both family estates and generations as years go by.

A controversial question can arise: Should children consider life insurance for their elderly parents, planning for the eventuality of their passing, so that a sum of money can be left for their children and grandchildren?

The question has both financial and familial repercussions.

How would you decide the controversial question? >>>

The Perfect Gift may be Closer than You Think

At this introspective time of year, it’s worth reflecting that the joy of the holidays isn’t found in a shopping bag and the yuletide spirit isn’t limited to a single day on the calendar.

The perfect gift is one where you give of yourself to others, either in the form of your creativity -— a hand-crafted gift like a tin can pencil holder or a hand-painted paperweight — or your time — the preparation of a home cooked meal, a nature walk in the woods,  or a chess or photography lesson.

As written in A Christmas Digest, “The dictionary defines a gift as simply, ‘a thing given.’ It says nothing about cost  — only the condition of the heart. One person giving to another. That’s all.”

Give yourself away and see what happens. You may just get what you really want for Christmas.

25 Days of Free Christmas Music

Every day through Christmas, Amazon.com is unveiling a new holiday song available to download free for a limited time.

If there’s a new MP3 player on your shopping list, here’s a way to add the gift of music with holiday favorites from an international lineup of recording artists, from Tori Amos to Lady Gaga.

Happy Holidays from our family to yours…from Efinancial!

Study Finds Investment Behavior is in the Genes

Claremont McKenna College and University of Washington collaboration says whether you’re a cautious investor or a high roller, heredity’s at play

Investor behavior is largely determined by nature rather than nurture according to a new study by finance professors at Claremont McKenna College and the University of Washington. By studying twins and their financial behavior, researchers found that genetics account for one-third, on average, and as much as 45 percent of investor behavior. Other factors previously studied, such as age, gender, education, wealth and home ownership, when combined explain only five to 10 percent of investor behavior.

The study, “Nature or Nurture: What Determines Investor Behavior?” cross-referenced nearly 38,000 twins in the Swedish Twin Registry, the world’s largest, with comprehensive personal financial data–stocks, bonds, real estate, cash–collected by the Swedish government. This data allowed a comprehensive method to measure genetic versus environmental impact on investing and personal finance.

Read more about "Nature vs. Nurture" In Investment Strategy >>>

InvisibleHand Price Checks for Savings While You Shop

We at Efinancial place a premium on the value of a “guiding hand” helping to save you money at every turn while you shop (that’s the power of our Internet guidance when shopping for life insurance).

So we can’t help but admire InvisibleHand, a handy download for your Internet Web browser that shows a discreet notification when the product you’re browsing can be bought for a lower price elsewhere.

InvisibleHand works automatically while you browse to find you better deals on products from more than 100 top retailers in three different countries. It’s effortless comparison shopping that’s designed to work for you as a seamless addition to your standard browsing experience.

That’s very much akin to what Efinancial.com can do for you in the life insurance category, helping you find the lowest life insurance premiums among America’s top insurance companies, but of course men and women cannot live on life insurance alone!  Why not give InvisibleHand a try!

How are you using technology to give you the advantage of locating the best prices on the things you buy, be they holiday gifts or life insurance savings?

How Much Money is a Life Worth?

Is it possible to put a value or a price on human life?  Strange as it may sound, that is exactly what underwriters and insurance companies attempt to do when they are qualifying an applicant for a life insurance policy.

One of the first considerations an insurance company will make when evaluating a new customer is whether the amount of insurance being applied for is consistent with the net worth of the individual. These underwriters need to do what can sound a bit inhuman, but the calculation of “human life value” is used by life insurance companies to determine the maximum amount of insurance that they can offer you.

Learn the Formula Underwriters Use to Value Human Life >>>

Unhappy With Your Life Insurance Carrier? Then Switch!

Two-thirds of customers are dissatisfied with their life insurers and nearly half would be inclined to bolt to a competitor if they could get a better deal, according to consulting firm Accenture Ltd.

A survey of 5,600 consumers in 14 different countries and 10 industry sectors was conducted between April and May of 2009. About 2,500 of the participants were asked to evaluate their life insurance providers.

Money Tweets: Financial Education in 140 Characters or Less

Interested in a fast, easy-to-absorb guide to personal financial news and information you can “eyeball”  literally at a glance.  Mint.com (www.mint.com), a leading online personal finance service from Intuit, Inc., has condensed it down to a salvo of messages in bite size Twitter chunks of just 40 characters each.

The new “Money Tweets” service deliver news and advice from from across the Twittersphere, and synthesizes it in a single, streamlined platform at www.mint.com/twitter.

How to tweet your way to a golden nest egg on Twitter >>