Insurable Interest Canadian Insurance Blog

Many also said they could improve their finances by paying down credit cards and increasing retirement savings. Feeling Financial Stress Forty-four percent of survey respondents reported feeling stress about finances, about the same levels as reported last year. Another 41% said they are more stressed this year, while just 16% said they are less stressed. Fifty-two percent of millennials reported feeling more stress this year, compared with 37% of Gen Xers and 23% of boomers. As to what is causing their financial stress, 54% of respondents put it down to the cost of day-to-day expenses, 49% said their income or retirement income is too low, 35% cited too small an emergency fund and 35% said too much debt is contributing to their financial stress. The survey found that a majority of Americans confess bad financial habits: 30% spend too much on things they do not need 28% do not save any money 27% save some money, but not as much as they could 23% are not paying down debt fast enough 21% spend more that they make Many Americans surveyed have a brighter outlook for their finances in the new year. Thirty-five percent of respondents expect their financial situation to...

The lawsuit was filed in Broward County, Florida, by Florence Grosch, a former Merrill financial advisor. In a complaint filed early in December, Grosch alleged that Merrill did not pay for all the overtime the FSAs and trainees logged beyond their stipulated 40-hour workweeks. Merrill Lynch has not yet responded to a request for comment, but case documents show a judge has approved the settlement agreement. Other stipulations include that Merrill Lynch has the right to recoup any funds that are either left over or left unclaimed by eligible advisors or trainees who do not wish to participate in the settlement agreement.

The coming months will provide a better read on the incoming Trump administration’s immigration and tariff policies, he noted. Image: Bloomberg

House members voted 366-34 for the ARA, 2025 package. All members who opposed the package were Republicans. Senate members approved the package by an 85-11 vote. At press time, the party breakdown was not available. Package details: The new spending package: Maintains current provisions that boost Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors and hospitals. Maintains current provisions that boost Medicare reimbursement rates for ambulance services. Extends the current, temporary Medicare telehealth coverage rules, which are more flexible than the older Medicare telehealth coverage rules and were adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The package excludes Further Continuing Appropriations provisions that would: Require Medicare Advantage plans to review their provider directories more often and correct errors promptly. Move toward having Medicare cover Grail’s Galleri blood test and other blood tests that screen people for many different kinds of cancer at the same time. Limit pharmacy benefit managers that serve Medicare prescription drug plans to collecting service fees and prohibit the PBMs from basing compensation on the value of discounts negotiated. Reauthorize the Older Americans Act. Sen. Ron Wyden, R-Ore., said he was unhappy about provisions like the provider directory provision dropping out of the anti-shutdown package because of Trump’s complaints. The...

The Social Security Fairness Act, which passed by a vote of 76 to 20, ensures public sector workers and their families can receive full Social Security benefits by repealing the two penalties that reduced benefits for nearly 3 million Americans. “Today is a day to celebrate!” added Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, late Friday in a statement. “State and local workers in Louisiana deserve the full Social Security benefits they’ve earned. Now they will get it. This was a long overdue step. Now we must save Social Security from insolvency in nine years for every American.” The Senate vote “delivers us to the doorstep of a long-sought goal — to restore fairness to a system that has worked incredibly well for nearly 90 years to provide American workers with basic financial security,” Max Richtman, president and CEO of National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, added late Friday in another statement. The Committee said it supports the bill “because it removes an unfairness in the system by allowing teachers, firefighters, and police officers (among others) and their families to collect Social Security benefits. Our members and supporters have made it clear that they want the WEP & GPO repealed.”

Costco carries this one. If your client is a fan of Iberico ham from Spain or prosciutto from Italy, this is a great themed gift. The box is quite large. It includes an entire leg of cured meat, with the stand and a carving knife! 5. Christmas Pudding Cost $35-$50 Are they an Anglophile? Watch much Bridgerton or Downton Abbey? This variation on fruitcake is a British classic. You often see it served with brandy poured on top and set alight, producing a blue flame. Williams Sonoma carries a two-pound one for about $50. The British firm Tiptree has a two-pound version for about $35. They say that size serves 10 people. You can also find ones about half the size in the mid-$20s. 6. Omaha Steaks Cost: $85-$89 You have seen them advertised. You get their mailings. Four filet mignons, 6 oz. each, run about $84.00. They have a more extensive package, featuring four top sirloins, with lots of other stuff at $89.99. 7. Caviar Cost: Varies Here’s a luxury item! Zabars, the famous deli in New York, carries American Hackleback Sturgeon caviar at $75 for a 2-ounce jar. They also sell red salmon caviar for $80 a pound,...