PERSONAL FINANCE Earners should consider disabilities, insurer says
Mike Simonds says if you ask people whether they know many disabled people, their answer likely will be no.
But, he said, ask how many people they've seen suffer an illness preventing them from working for a few months, and the response is different.
"Then it becomes real," the UnumProvident Corp. vice president said.
The Chattanooga-based company, the nation's No. 1 disability insurer with about 3,000 workers in the city, is rolling out a new campaign aimed at telling Americans about Unum-Provident products.
Company spokeswoman Mary Clarke Guenther said a lighthearted mailer featuring a small rock and the question, "What are the odds a meteor will hit your house?" kicked off the effort.
The answer to the question, according to the company, is one in 182 trillion. But, it said, the odds are 1 in 3 that someone will miss three months pay because of injury or illness during his or her working life. [ read full article ]
BACINO MOVES CLOSER TO SEAT ON FINANCE BOARD
The Senate Banking Committee is expected to vote as early as this week to endorse the appointment of former NCUA Board Member Geoffrey Bacino to the Federal Housing Finance Board, along with several other important Bush nominees, for approval by the full Senate.
Bacino, who has worked as credit union liaison with auto financer CENTRIX Financial the past three years, told the Senate panel during confirmation hearings he supports efforts by the regulator of the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks to create transparency in their financial reporting. He also said it is important that the Finance Board move to fill its independent directors seats at the 12 banks.
The credit union advocate is expected to be considered by the full Senate along with Bush Administration candidates to fill vacancies at the Fed, at the Export-Import Bank, and at the Mint.
Bacino has had a long career in credit unions, which has included the early days at Callahan & Associates, the National Association of Share Insurance Corporations and the National Association of State Chartered CUs. Many credit union executives still remember Bacino's father, Ted Bacino, who worked at NCUA in the Ed Callahan days. [ read full article ]
Decker affair should not affect campaign finance
The guilty plea of former state Rep. Michael Decker and ongoing investigation into House Speaker Jim Black is sure to bring out more calls for taxpayers to finance legislative campaigns.
Decker, a Forsyth County Republican whose switch to the Democratic Party in January 2003 helped set the stage for a co-speakership between Black and Republican Richard Morgan, pleaded guilty this week to charges he accepted $50,000 for switching parties and voting for a Democratic speaker.
Black, through his attorneys, insists that he has done nothing illegal. No charges have been brought against the Mecklenburg County Democrat.
Backers of taxpayer financed campaigns - or, as it's often called, public financing - will use any excuse to promote their cause. Earlier this year, they tried to use the ethical cloud engulfing the General Assembly to start a pilot program for such financing.
Fortunately, it didn't happen.
Tax-paid campaigns are a bad idea for a number of reasons: Taxes are supposed to pay for legitimate government functions. Running elections is a legitimate function of government. Running campaigns is not. [ read full article ]