Employment

The Top 5 Health Insurance Companies

June 16, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Finding The Right Health Insurance Company

With fewer jobs in the country due to a poorly performing economy and many large companies moving jobs offshore to reduce costs, many US residents have taken it upon themselves to open up their own small businesses. Naturally, these entrepreneurs are looking to find the best health coverage for themselves as well as for their families. Researching the right health insurance plan that will not only satisfy your individual needs, but also the needs of your family is no easy task, as health insurance coverage needs vary from person to person.

When conducting your research on what coverage you need for your health needs, the insurance company will consider the following factors:

Your age
Your Income
Whether or not you smoke/drink
Your Geographic location (not all providers are available in every state)

You on the other hand will be concerned with these factors:

What is the deductible?
How much is the co-pay for each doctor visit?
How much is the co-insurance? (The percentage you have to pay before you reach the out-of-pocket limit)
Out of Pocket Maximum Per Year
Maximum per Person / Per Family
Exclusions (for Preexisting conditions etc)
Limitations on which Doctors you can use
Acceptance at local hospitals
Out of Network Acceptance (if you are traveling)

An excellent way to reduce your health insurance costs is by using a Group Health Insurance Policy. If you can get insurance as one of the Benefits through your place of employment or even by join a group or organization, you may be able to reduce your costs by getting in on a group policy.

See: What is Co-Insurance?

Group Health Insurance Policies

How to Find the Right Health Insurance Policy?

Tim McMahon~editor

The Top 5 Health Insurance Companies

According to online sources, there are a total of 25 noted health insurance companies that rank well in the services they provide and the fees they charge. The Top 5 Health Insurance Companies are as follows:

Jobs Report

June 8, 2012 by Tim McMahon

Non-farm Payrolls

The latest jobs report came out on June 1st with the U.S. Department of Labor reporting that non-farm payrolls (jobs) increased by 69,000 in May (seasonally adjusted). See Current Employment Data for the unadjusted non-farm payroll data.

Today’s chart compares the total nonfarm payrolls (blue line) to its two components Private sector job market (gold line) and Government sector job market (red line). But rather than showing total jobs it shows the percentage change in total nonfarm payrolls (blue line) since the declared end of the Great Recession in 2009 (the vertical line). So at that point it is zero. Prior to that point private sector jobs were as high as 7% higher while public sector (government) jobs were 2% lower (i.e. the government increased its employment from 2007 through 2009).

This chart illustrates, the overall job market (blue line) continues to trend higher albeit at a pace that has slowed over the past several months. Today’s chart also illustrates that the government job market has been trending significantly lower since the first half of 2009 (with the exception of temporary census hiring in mid-2010). This decline is due to federal, state and local governments attempting to realign their budgets following an unexpected decline in revenues as a result of the historic plunge in housing prices (i.e. property taxes, capital gains, etc.) and nonfarm payrolls (i.e. income taxes, payroll taxes, etc.).

One of the major tennents of Keynesian economics is that during a recession as the private sector is shrinking the public sector should increase and provide jobs and run deficits. But the side of Keynesian economics that most politicians forget is that the public sector is supposed to shrink and budgets are supposed to be balanced and debts repaid during good economic times.

The Non-Farms Payroll chart is courtesy of Chart of the Day

Expanded Horizons: Doing Business Internationally

June 2, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Doing Business Internationally

Whether you are a recent college graduate casting furtively about for work, or you’ve been in the workforce for a few years and haven’t much to show for it, or you’re a business owner struggling to gain a competitive edge in your industry… you may be wondering what you have to do to get ahead in this economy. If you are considering traveling to a fast-growing international market to pursue a career or business opportunity, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind.

International Business- Market Growth

International business, Salão do Chocolate na Bahia—Fotos Gov Ba (Flickr.com)

Whether you own a business or you are just looking to advance your career, you can take advantage of long-running macroeconomic trends by moving your business abroad. Whereas the American economy is forecast to grow between 2 and 3 percent annually over the next few years, foreign business in places like China and Brazil are enjoying regular growth rates approaching 10 percent annually. As a worker, this guarantees you both job security and upward wage pressure. As a business owner, this ensures that the markets for your products and services grow at healthy rates. In either case, you’re likely to be better off a few years down the road by doing business internationally.

Preparing For a Global Economy

These days, analysts in the know repeat mantras about “globalization” and “leveling the playing field.” But… What do they mean?

Simply put, the trend towards economic parity between developed nations like the United States and still-developing countries like China means that national borders are becoming less important every day. To prepare for doing business internationally and take advantage of this new economic reality, expand your horizons by:

Great Jobs for Those with a College Degree

May 30, 2012 by Tim McMahon

College Degrees Lead to Good Jobs

Ask anyone who is carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in college loans and they will tell you that a degree is an expensive investment. And like any investment you should be concerned with ROI (Return On Investment) or the value you get back for not only the money you invest in your education but on your time investment as well.

: College degree, Will Folsom(Flickr.com)

Research proves that those with college degrees are higher earners and suffer less unemployment on average than those with only a high school degree. Since a college degree is a smart investment, why not choose a degree program that promises a strong return?

The following jobs for college grads tend to be in high demand and have higher wages.

Human Resources

Working in human resources means dealing with hiring, firing, and other administrative management of the work force. No matter what the size or the purpose of a company, if there is more than one employee, there is a need for a human resource administrator. According to the US department of labor, the estimated rate of growth for these positions is over 20 percent for the next six years. With salaries averaging over $100,000, a college degree based in human resources is a safe bet for a strong return.

College Degrees Preparing You for a Human Resources Career

Many colleges offer a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management and although there are also Associates degrees available, many experts agree that an Associates degree is no longer enough to get anything less than the lowest level human resources positions.

How to Finance an MBA

May 27, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Financing an MBA

If you’ve decided an MBA is the best option to further your career, it’s time to get smart about paying for it. A two-year MBA program at the most prestigious schools can cost $100,000 or more for tuition, books, and living expenses. This doesn’t even include the cost of lost wages. Even schools with less name recognition are going to cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

Fortunately, there is plenty of financing help available for MBA candidates. Knowing your options is the first step to researching in-depth solutions for financing your MBA ambitions.

How to Finance an MBA- Using Student Loans

No one enjoys the prospect of going into debt, but there are few better reasons to do so than enhancing your earning power with education credentials. Federal loans are typically managed by B-schools and only require you to fill out a FAFSA. These loans carry a fixed interest rate, and repayment is made as painless as possible. Paying interest while still in school is generally a good way to keep costs down and federal loans also extend a grace period and the opportunity for income-based repayment should you hit a bad patch.

Private loans take more effort to manage, but they can be better in the long run. Your credit history will be most important here. Repayment is not as flexible, and interest rates can be variable. Variable interest is definitely a bonus in a bad economy.

Job Search Scams

May 25, 2012 by Tim McMahon

Unfortunately, the economy and job situations are suffering. When times are hard, unemployment is high and people are desperate, this is the perfect opportunity for others to take advantage of you. Some scams include stealing form your account to having you work for one day and then firing you. An example is a company looking for a ‘marketing rep’ calls you once you apply for the position. They tell you they want you to come in immediately. They make it a big deal and say that there are many candidates and they want to make a decision fast. Once they get you into the office, they complete the interview and tell you that you are great and to come back for a second interview. This second interview requires you to ride along with a salesman ‘to get a better idea’, four hours later you are helping him go , door to door. Once you realize this is not what you want to do it’s too late. You just worked for free.

So before you apply for a job, attend an interview or accept a job review these tips to prevent being a victim of a job scam.

The Online Business Scam:

Job Seekers Awaiting Their Turns Patiently—jobsdbmalaysia (Flickr.com)

A job scam can be found anywhere; however scammers find it easiest to find their victims online. Online job boards don’t have many filters and that means scammers can get away with more. Large job sites like Monster.com and Indeed.comtry their best to monitor but are not always able to keep up with new scams.

This is why it is important when you search online to keep in mind: [Read more…] about Job Search Scams

Stay Ahead of Your Competition With Online Continuing Education Courses

May 24, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Online Continuing Education Courses

Today’s job market is incredibly competitive, with the number of applicants for each job far outstripping the number of available openings. While many careers may initially value experience over qualifications, enrolling in continuing education degrees or courses is a great way for employers to know you are up to date with the latest developments, technology and strategies in their industry.

Continuing Education Provides Ammo for Interviews

By keeping you on the cusp of new developments, continuing education courses ready you for new challenges your industry may be facing such as changes in technology or market forces. The formal training provided in professional courses is a highly regarded commodity as it means employers do not have to put in the time and resources to train you. Currently being involved in or having just completed a continuing education course is something that you can readily draw on in an employment interview. Speaking in detail about the benefits of the course really helps you to sell yourself to the interviewer. Be sure to stress the up to date nature of the course material, draw on case studies or examples and demonstrate a real interest in the content covered. Employers love to see their employees engaged and passionate about their career topic area.

A Degree Above the Rest

The benefits of earning a degree, whether a bachelor’s or a master’s [Read more…] about Stay Ahead of Your Competition With Online Continuing Education Courses

What is Co-Insurance?

May 23, 2012 by Tim McMahon

CoInsurance: Definition

Coinsurance is a tricky term to define because it can mean different things depending on which type of insurance you are talking about. It is most commonly used in health insurance and commonly means the percentage of the total health care bill that you as the insured will have to pay. In other words you are responsible for a portion and the insurance company is responsible for a portion. You are both co-insuring against the cost of health care.

Of course it is not a straight percentage. If you have an 80/20% coinsurance clause in your health insurance policy that means that after your deductible has been met you owe 20% of the bill while the insurer will cover 80%. But then there is an Out-of-Pocket Maximum that limits your liability.

So in a way, [Read more…] about What is Co-Insurance?

Social Media Marketing Consultants Needed

May 18, 2012 by Tim McMahon

By Tim McMahon, editor

Social Media Marketing Consultants

Social Media Marketing is a new field and just as happened in other new fields like web designers 15 years ago, companies are scrambling to find qualified people to perform this valuable service for them. This is truly an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a budding industry and make a name for yourself and carve out a lucrative career before others catch on.

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing is a relatively new method of promoting businesses via social media platforms and finding customers and ensuring customer satisfaction after you’ve found them. Companies are increasingly realizing how important happy customers are and that it is much more profitable to retain existing customers than to constantly look for new ones. Today, social media is not just used for finding long-lost colleagues or old High School friends on Facebook; or Tweeting about what you had for lunch on Twitter. Social media has turned out to be an important tool for businesses that want to create a successful online presence. As more and more people are using social media to search for the products they like, social media marketing has become a regular part of daily business transactions and businesses have discovered social media as a method to reach their target consumers and establish a pleasant brand experience online.

As a result, smart companies are shifting a part of their marketing dollars to social media. Large companies like Proctor & Gamble, Taco Bell, and Pepsi are budgeting huge amounts of money to manage brand perception and promote their products via social media. And in the process, they are creating the demand for thousands of Social Media Managers and Marketing Consultants.

So what do Social Media Marketing Consultants do?

Tap Into the Conversation

If an organization wants to find out the “chatter” in the marketplace about a particular product, they need to check the social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook in order to see what prospective customers think about the brand. Social Media Marketing Consultants have their fingers on the pulse of the community. They monitor the chatter and set up alerts related to keywords pertaining to the brand they are monitoring. By tapping into this network and spreading the word Social Media Marketing Consultants can quickly spread the good word or defuse bad chatter from dissatisfied customers.

Spread the News

Social Media Marketing Consultants will often spread interactive online content, in relation to the commodity that’s being launched. For example if Pepsi wants to launch a new soft-drink it might create a game or a contest related to the new product to create a buzz around it with the hopes of it going viral and creating positive word-of-mouth from influencers.

Perform Online Customer Service

If an online linked in Social Media person discovers a dissatisfied customer he or she will quickly step in to diffuse the situation and turn that dissatisfaction into an amazing customer experience. Smart companies are empowering their Social Media consultants to handle customer service issues quickly before they become media nightmares.