13 Interesting Facts about Dreams: Why we forget 90% of your Dream, Do Animals and Blind People also Dream, What we see in dream, Are Dreams in color or in Black & White, what is Recurring Dream, and is there any difference between dreams of men and women????

Dreaming is one of the most mysterious experiences in our lives. During the Roman Era, some dreams were submitted to the Roman Senate for analysis and dream interpretation. They were thought to be messages from the gods. Dream interpreters even accompanied military leaders into battles and campaigns! In addition we know, that many artists have received their creative ideas from their dreams. But what do we know about dreams? Here are 13 interesting facts for you.

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1. You Forget 90% of Your Dreams

Within 5 minutes of waking, half of your dream is forgotten. Within 10, 90% is gone.

2. Blind People also Dream

People who became blind after birth can see images in their dreams. People who are born blind do not see any images, but have dreams equally vivid involving their other senses of sound, smell, touch and emotion.

3. Everybody Dreams

Every human being dreams (except in cases of extreme psychological disorder). If you think, you are not dreaming, you just forget your dreams.

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4. In Our Dreams We Only See Faces, That We already Know

Our mind is not inventing faces – in our dreams we see real faces of real people that we have seen during our life but may not know or remember. We have all seen hundreds of thousands of faces throughout our lives, so we have an endless supply of characters for our brain to utilize during our dreams.

   

5. Not Everybody Dreams in Color

A full 12% of sighted people dream exclusively in black and white. The remaining number dream in full color. Studies from 1915 through to the 1950s maintained that the majority of dreams were in black and white, but these results began to change in the 1960s. Today, only 4.4% of the dreams of under-25 year-olds are in black and white. Recent research has suggested that those changing results may be linked to the switch from black-and-white film and TV to color media. 

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6. Dreams are Symbolic

If you dream about some particular subject it is not often that the dream is about that. Dreams speak in a deeply symbolic language.  Whatever symbol your dream picks on it is most unlikely to be a symbol for itself.

7. Emotions

The most common emotion experienced in dreams is anxiety. Negative emotions are more common than positive ones.

8. Recurring Dreams

While the content of most dreams is dreamt only once, many people experience recurring dreams—that is, the same dream narrative is experienced over different occasions of sleep. Up to 70% of females and 65% of males report recurrent dreams.

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9. Animals Dream Too

Studies have been done on many different animals, and they all show the same brain waves during dreaming sleep as humans. Watch a dog sleeping sometime. The paws move like they are running and they make yipping sounds as if they are chasing something in a dream.

10. Body Paralysis

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a normal stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. REM sleep in adult humans typically occupies 20-25% of total sleep, about 90-120 minutes of a night’s sleep.

During REM sleep the body is paralyzed by a mechanism in the brain in order to prevent the movements which occur in the dream from causing the physical body to move. However, it is possible for this mechanism to be triggered before, during, or after normal sleep while the brain awakens.

11. Dream Incorporation

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Our mind interprets the external stimuli that our senses are bombarded with when we are asleep and make them a part of our dreams. This means that sometimes, in our dreams, we hear a sound from reality and incorporate it in a way. For example you are dreaming that you are in a concert, while your brother is playing a guitar during your sleep.

12. Men and Women Dream Differently

Men tend to dream more about other men. Around 70% of the characters in a man’s dream are other men. On the other hand, a woman’s dream contains almost an equal number of men and women. Aside from that, men generally have more aggressive emotions in their dreams than the female lot.

13. Precognitive Dreams

Results of several surveys across large population sets indicate that between 18% and 38% of people have experienced at least one precognitive dream and 70% have experienced déjà vu. The percentage of persons that believe precognitive dreaming is possible is even higher, ranging from 63% to 98%.

Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.  (Marsha Norman).

6 Cute Ideas to Make Anyone’s Birthday Unforgettable

Want to impress your friends, family or partner during their birthday? Besides giving a unique birthday gifts, here are some birthday ideas to put a smile on their face during this special event.

1. Express your greetings and wishes
A simple birthday greetings and wishes always make birthday celebrants happy by telling he/she that someone actually remembers his/her special day.

2. Write a poem or a song
Next, writing a poem to express your warmest greetings and wishes to birthday celebrants is not only very unique, but also adds to the value of the occasion.

3. Arrange a party
A special birthday party will always be a good idea to surprise birthday celebrants.

4. Send some flowers or balloons
Again, a simple small gestures of love, like giving flowers and balloons, can already mean something big to someone celebrating a birthday.

5. Bake a cake
No matter the taste and look of the cake, it is already special and meaningful enough if you bake the cake yourself.

6. Treat them to a one-day spa session
If you are ready busy but still wish to impress birthday celebrants, treat them to a day of complete relaxation and pampering spam after work might be a good activity in this special day.

Sincerely comes from the heart is all that matters. Without spending much money for a present, birthdays can still be special. Feel free to give me a comment about this topic. It will be a great support to Xaivier Blog.

Review by: Xaivier Chia

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Six Principles of Life

"Obstacles are those frightful things you can see when you take your eyes off your goal." ... Henry Ford

Sometimes, we might miss in this complicated world.
Sometimes, we might lost our principle of life while pursuing so-called fortune and treasure.
Sometimes, we might even forget who we are just because we are too busy and no time to think about it.
Sometimes.... we might let these 'sometimes' to be 'often' in our life unconsciously.

Therefore, we should always recall our self with the following principles:

1.  No point using limited life to chase unlimited money.
2.  No point earning so much money you cannot live to spend it .
3.  Money is not yours until you spend it.
4. When you are young, you use your health to chase your wealth ; when you are old, you use your wealth to buy back your health . Difference is that, it is too late .
5. How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs .
6. No point working so hard to provide for the people you have no time to spend with

To sum up, "how to make a balance in our life" is the most important lesson we should learn in our life. Feel free to give me a comment about this topic. It will be a great support to Xaivier Blog. Feel free to give me a comment about this topic. It will be a great support to Xaivier Blog.

Written by: Xaivier Chia

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Unite To End Violence Against Women: Please Say No To Sex Selection and Female Foeticide, Female Genital Mutilation, Dowry and Discrimination Against Women, Women’s Resistance and Educate & Empower Women for a Happy Future !!!!!! : Jaago India Jaago

LADLI - The loved one! campaign by SOCIAL GEOGRAPHIC:

Photo: Firoz Ahmad Firoz 





"Worst of all, violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence -- yet the reality is that, too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned." 

-(UN SECRETARY-GENERAL in International Women’s Day 2007 Message.)

Photo: Firoz Ahmad Firoz 

“Almost every country in the world still has laws that discriminate against women, and promises to remedy this have not been kept.” 

:(UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the eve of International Women's Day 2008)

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According to one United Nations estimate, 113 to 200 million women are “demographically missing” from the world today. That is to say, there should be 113 to 200 million more women walking the earth, who aren’t. By that same estimate, 1.5 to 3 million women and girls lose their lives every year because of gender-based neglect or gender-based violence and Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Photo: Firoz Ahmad Firoz 

In addition to torture, sexual violence and rape by occupation forces, a great number of women and girls are kept locked up in their homes by a very real fear of abduction and criminal abuse. In war and conflicts, girls and women have been denied their human right, including the right to health, education and employment. “Sexual violence in conflict zones is indeed a security concern. We affirm that sexual violence profoundly affects not only the health and safety of women, but the economic and social stability of their nations” –US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, 19 June 2008 (Read more about UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict www.stoprapenow.org/ ).http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

Millions of young women disappear in their native land every year. Many of them are found later being held against their will in other places and forced into prostitution. According to the UNICEF (www.unicef.org/gender/index_factsandfigures.html ),Girls between 13 and 18 years of age constitute the largest group in the sex industry. It is estimated that around 500,000 girls below 18 are victims of trafficking each year. The victims of trafficking and female migrants are sometimes unfairly blamed for spreading HIV when the reality is that they are often the victims.

According to the UNAIDS around 17.3 million, women (almost half of the total number of HIV-positive) living with HIV ( www.unaids.org ). While HIV is often driven by poverty, it is also associated with inequality, gender-based abuses and economic transition. The relationship between abuses of women's rights and their vulnerability to AIDS is alarming. Violence and discrimination prevents women from freely accessing HIV/AIDS information, from negotiating condom use, and from resisting unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner, yet most of the governments have failed to take any meaningful steps to prevent and punish such abuse.

Photo: Firoz Ahmad Firoz 

United Nations agencies estimated that every year 3 million girls are at risk of undergoing the procedure – which involves the partial or total removal of external female genital organs – that some 140 million women, mostly in Asia, the Middle East and in Africa, have already endured.http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

We can point a finger at poverty. But poverty alone does not result in these girls and women’s deaths and suffering; the blame also falls on the social system and attitudes of the societies.

India alone accounts for more than 50 million of the women who are “missing” due to female foeticide - the sex-selective abortion of girls, dowry death, gender-based neglect and all forms of violence against women.

Since the late 1970s when the technology for sex determination first came into being, sex selective abortion has unleashed a saga of horror in India. Experts are calling it "sanitized barbarism”. The 2001 Census conducted by Government of India, showed a sharp decline in the child sex ratio in 80% districts of India. In some parts of the country, the sex ratio of girls to boys has dropped to less than 800:1,000.

It's alarming that even liberal states like those in the northeast have taken to disposing of girls. Worryingly, the trend is far stronger in urban rather than rural areas, and among literate rather than illiterate women, exploding the myth that growing affluence and spread of basic education alone will result in the erosion of gender bias. The United Nations has expressed serious concern about the situation.http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

Over the years, laws have been made stricter and the punishment too is more stringent now. But since many people manage to evade punishment, others too feel inclined to take the risk. Just look at the way sex-determination tests go on despite a stiff ban on them. Only if the message goes out loud and clear that nobody who dares to snuff out the life of a female foetus would escape effective legal system would the practice end. It is only by a combination of monitoring, education, socio-cultural campaigns, and effective legal implementation that the deep-seated attitudes and practices against women and girls can be eroded.

The decline in the sex ratio and the millions of Missing Women are indicators of the feudal patriarchal resurgence. Violence against women has gone public – whether it is dowry murders, the practice of female genital mutilation, honour killings, sex selective abortions or death sentences awarded to young lovers from different communities by caste councils, rapes and killings in communal and caste violence, it is only women’s and human rights groups who are protesting – the public and institutional response to these trends is very minimal.

Millions of women suffer from discrimination in the world of work. This not only violates a most basic human right, but has wider social and economic consequences. Most of the governments turn a blind eye to illegal practices and enact and enforce discriminatory laws. Corporations and private individuals engage in abusive and sexist practices without fear of legal system.http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

Photo: Firoz Ahmad Firoz 

More women are working now than ever before, but they are also more likely than men to get low-productivity, low-paid and vulnerable jobs, with no social protection, basic rights nor voice at work according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) issued for International Women’s Day 2008. 

Are we even half way to meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Unite To End Violence Against Women!

Say No To Sex Selection and Female Foeticide!!

Say No To Female Genital Mutilation!!!

Say No To Dowry and Discrimination Against Women!!!!

Say Yes To Women’s Resistance !!!!!

Educate & Empowered Women for a Happy Future !!!!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jaago India Jaago!!!

www.un.org/womenwatch/

www.un.org/women/endviolence/

www.saynotoviolence.org/

www.unaids.org

www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ 

41 WAYS TO MELT and IMPRESS A WOMEN, GIRLFRIEND

1. Ask her to dance.

2. On windy days, brush wayward strands of hair from her eyes and mouth.

3. When she's coming down the street, across the room, or up the stairs to meet you, walk towards her as soon as you see her.

4. Kiss her between her shoulder blades when she turns her back to you to go to sleep.

5. Put your arm around her when you introduce her to your friends and family.

6. Grasp her hand when a scantily dressed, beautiful woman walks by.

7. Call her when you're feeling sad.

8. Kiss her eyelids.

9. Ask to see a picture of her when she was a child.

10. Wash her from head to toe in the shower.

11. If she's crying on the phone, go over to her place. Immediately.

12. Stand her naked on a sturdy chair and **** between her legs.

13. Occasionally call her by her first and middle names.

14. Buy her your favourite rock album of all time on vinyl.

15. Order coffee for her, remembering exactly how she likes it.

16. Undress her and put her to bed when she falls asleep in the car.

17. Mention your upcoming anniversary before she does.

18. Send her something in the mail. Anything.

19. When she's feeling insecure, stare into her eyes & tell her there is no-one in the world who could be as right for you as she is.

20. Call her just before you get on the plane.

21. Pick her clothes up off the floor.

22. Try desperately to make her laugh when she's feeling down.

23. Take her to see your favorite sport live. Pay more attention to her than the game.

24. Touch her arm when you leave the table to go to the bathroom. Touch her again when you come back.

25. Shave just before you see her. She'll notice.

26. Hug her when she gets jealous. Hug her hard.

27. Worship her breasts.

28. Give her jewellery.

29. Hand her two towels when she gets out of the shower. (The second one is for her hair.)

30. Ask her specific questions about her work.

31. Keep her favourite cereal on hand.

32. In the middle of a conversation, tell her you love her.

33. Send her very expensive flowers when you screw up.

34. Take her to a cabin with a fireplace. Build her a fire.

35. Moan her name when she goes down on you.

36. Read her a story when it's her turn to drive during a long road trip.

37. Offer to fix something at her place that you realize is broken.

38. Notice when she's wearing something new.

39. Make love to her standing up, against a wall.

40. Kiss her hand in front of your most die-hard bachelor buddies.

41. If she's too stressed to want sex...

a. Run a bath for her.

b. Give her a full-body massage.

c. Ask if she wants to wrestle.

11 WAYS TO BE A HAPPY EMPLOYEE

Being happy is always in your hands. A happy employee is more productive and gives more than an unhappy employee.So let's look at some ways to up the happiness factor.

1. Plan your week on Sunday night

Look at your work calendar and plan your week on Sunday night or Monday morning. This would include important meetings, deliverables, a brief summary of things that are pending from last week and any tasks to be achieved during the week. Though this might look like a time management tip, at the end of the week, on Friday night when you re-visit what you have achieved over the last five days, the satisfaction is immense.

2. Undertake activities that you are passionate about even though it might not be in your job profile

Start an initiative that you would love to do irrespective of whether it is required for you to do or not.

• Send a daily newsletter to your team on the topics that most of them will be interested.
  
• Do a presentation on the topic that you are passionate about.
• Organize a small sports event for your team.
• Call everyone in your team for a team coffee, breakfast or lunch break
• Appreciate colleagues in your team or in a cross-functional team who did a great job
• Write a poem on your team's achievements
• Arrange a potluck lunch

3. Do not indulge in the blame game

If something goes wrong do not blame others blindly. If you commit a mistake, do not hesitate to accept it. As Gauthama Buddha said, there are three things we can't hide for long: the sun, earth, and the truth. Accepting your mistake gracefully will only make you look like a true professional and also give you the satisfaction of not cheating.

4. Communicate more often in person

Utilize all the opportunities where you can speak to an individual in person rather than e-mail or phone. But be aware of the other person's time and availability. Listening to a positive answer from a person will give you more happiness than if it is done over the phone or via e-mail.

5. Know what is happening at your workplace

Will this make a person happy? Truly, yes! Imagine a cricket team that doesn't know how many runs to score to win a match? More than losing the game, the player will never be interested or motivated to play well.

Attend all meetings that are addressed by the CEO to your immediate manager to know what is going to happen around you. It could be the company's growth plan or your department's next big project. Jack Welch mentions in his book Winning "every employee, not just the senior people, should know how a company is doing."

You will also get an extra edge if you are in a position to answer queries raised by your peers or juniors. This is not just for the good reasons, but bad reasons as well. You do not want to be the last employee to know if your company is laying off employees (in the worst case, if you are the one who is on that list).

6. Participate in organisation-level activities

This could be as simple as spending one weekend for a corporate social responsibility activity or attending a recruitment drive to help your HR team or arranging a technical/sports event at the organizational level. Most of these events will be successful as people do come on their own to contribute.

7. Have a hobby that keeps you busy and happy

Many people say their hobby is watching TV or listening to music or reading the newspaper. These aren't hobbies, they are just ways of passing the time. Some hobbies are evergreen and will keep you evergreen as well: dancing, painting, writing short stories, poems, blogs and sharing your experiences.

8. Take up a sport

While choosing a sport make sure that there is physical activity. There is the danger of becoming addicted to sports where there is less physical activity (like computer games, chess, cards etc). Physical activity keeps a person healthy and happy. If you pick up one sport well, you can represent your organization in corporate sports event too.

9. Keep yourself away from office politics

Politics, as a practice, whatever its profession, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds. -- Henry Brooks Adams.

Politics is everywhere and the office is no exception. Playing politics might be beneficial but only for the short term. So the best thing to do is play fair.

10. Wish and smile

More often than not, there are fair chances that the other person will smile back. This could be your security guard at the gate, your receptionist, your office boy, your CEO or your manager -- never forget to wish them and smile.

11. Volunteer for some activity

"The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving." Albert Einstein

Do at least one activity without expecting anything in return. There is no set frequency for this. This could be once in a day or once in a week or thrice in a week. It could be as simple as making tea at the office for your colleague, helping a colleague who is working in another department by using your skills, dropping your colleague at his door step in your car, going to your manager or colleague to ask if there is any help you can extend, contributing to technical or knowledge management communities in your organisation etc.

SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.

A simple way to make a good impression.

The expression one wears on one's face if far more important than the clothes one wears on one's back. Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, " I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you." You must have a good time meeting people i f you expect them to have a good time meeting you. You don't feel like smiling? Then what? Two things. First, force yourself to smile. If you are alone, force yourself to whistle or hum a tune or sing. Act as if you were already happy, and that will tend to make you happy. "Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not." -William James. Happiness doesn't depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions. It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it. "There is nothing either good or bad," said Shakespeare, "but thinking makes it so." Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds.

Principle 2: Smile.

If you don't do this, you are headed for trouble

The average person is more interested in his or her own name than all the other names on earth put together. Remember that name and call it easily, and you have paid a subtle and very effective compliment. But forget it or misspell it-and you have plac e yourself at a sharp disadvantage. Whenever you meet a new acquaintance, find out his or her complete name and some facts about his or her family, business or political opinions. Fix all these facts well in mind as part of the picture, and the next time you meet that person, even if it was a year later, you will be able to shake hands, inquire after the family, and ask about the hollyhocks in the backyard. Sometimes it is difficult to remember a name, particularly if it is hard to pronounce. Rather than even try to learn it, many people ignore it or call the person by an easy nickname. Most people don't remember names, for the simple reason that they don't take the time and energy necessary to concentrate and repeat and fix names indelibly in their minds. If you don't hear the name distinctly say excuse me I didn't get your name clearly. Then, if it is an unusual name, ask how it is spelled. Use the person's name several times in the conversation; try to associate it in your mind with the person's featur es, expression and general appearance. Then, when you are alone write the name down on a piece of paper, look at it, and concentrate on it, fix it securely in your mind, in this way you will gain an eye impression of the name as well as an ear impression.

Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

An easy way to become a good conversationalist

Listen intently; listen because you are genuinely interested. That kind of listening is one of the highest compliments we can pay anyone. The chronic kicker, even the most violent critic, will frequently soften and be subdued in the presence of a patient, sympathetic listener-a listener who will be silent with the irate fault-finger dilates like a king cobra and spews the poison out of his system. Be more eager to hear what a person has to say then even they are to tell it. Many people prefer good list eners to good talkers, but the ability to listen seems rarer than almost any other good trait. All we want when we are in trouble is a friendly, sympathetic listener to unburden yourself. That is frequently all the irritated customer wants, and the dissat isfied employee or the hurt friend. If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is the recipe: Never listen to anyone for long. Talk incessantly about yourself. If you have an idea while the other person is talking, don't wait for him or her to finish: bust right in and interrupt in the middle of a sentence. If you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.

Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves...

How to interest people

The royal road to a person's heart is to talk about the things he or she treasures most. Make an effort to find out what interests the person then get them talking about it. Talking in terms of the other person's interests pays off for both parties. When asked what reward he got from it, Mr. Herzig responded that he not only received a different reward from each person but that in general the reward had been an enlargement of his life each time he spoke to someone.

Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

How to make people like you instantly.

Ask yourself " What is there about him or her that I can honestly admire?" That is sometimes a hard question to answer, especially with strangers. You want approval of those with whom you come in contact. You want recognition of your true worth. You want a feeling that your are important in our little world. You don't want to listen to cheap, insincere flattery, but you do crave sincere appreciation. So let's obey the Golden Rule, and give unto others what we would have others give unto us. How? When? Where? The answer is all the time, everywhere. Use little phrases such as "I'm sorry to trouble you, ___." "Would you please ___?" "Won't you please?" "Would you mind?" "Thank you." The unvarnished truth is that almost all the people you meet feel themselves superior to you in some way, and a sure way to their hearts is to let them realize in some subtle way that you recognize their importance, and recognize it sincerely. Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours.

Principle 6: Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.

In a Nutshell: Six ways to make people like you

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest & most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.

7 Things you need to know BEFORE you buy LIFE INSURANCE

The delivery of TAX-FREE LIFE INSURANCE proceeds is one of the most powerful social and economic forces in our country. What a shame that so many people don’t understand or appreciate its value.

As you carefully read this post, you’ll be better able to make wise and forward-thinking decisions regarding your LIFE INSURANCE.

By far and without exception, a life insurance claim is the most sobering and rewarding aspect of my profession as an insurance agent.
Sobering in that it reminds me of the brevity of this life and the certainty that it will end for all of us… eventually.
Rewarding because it’s an opportunity for me to deliver: A stay-at-home mother to children and the promise of a quality education for them, a paid-for house and a debt-free existence to the family, or a comfortable retirement for a weary widow.

It’s ONLY with the incredible power of LIFE INSURANCE that these are possible. When it comes time for you to consider this valuable cornerstone to your financial plan, you’ll want to make some very informed and calculated decisions.

Let me walk you thru some of them to help you make the ones that are best for you.
If you’ve read any of our other reports, you’ll know that even though insurance has been part of our culture for over 100 years, to most people – It’s still a just a mystery. And because they don’t understand it, a lot of people think they’re being “ripped off” by the Insurance Industry; aka “The Club”
I want to end that for you.

I'm an industry "insider": A licensed member of “The Club”
I’ve been inside the insurance business for over 25 years and I know it like the back of my hand: From policy to claims and back again.
I've sold insurance. I've bought Insurance.
I've studied it and I've learned that there's "good insurance" -- and there's "not-so-good insurance".
All insurance is "created equal".
Let’s take a quick trip with your imagination.

Picture yourself gone. Yes, I mean GONE, gone! Kind of morbid, I know. So if it makes it easier, go ahead and picture your exit as some grand, heroic or adventurous one. Maybe you went out skydiving or chasing wild horses in Wyoming. Or possibly you saved some kids from drowning when a school bus plunged into the lake. Either way… you’re gone.

Now -- Just ask yourself a few of simple questions.

• Are there some bills left to pay? Funeral? Credit cards? Maybe a car? Or possibly a gambling tab out at Viejas Casino?


• Is someone going to suffer without your income?


• Is there anything to which you’d like to leave a legacy? Possibly you’d like to start a scholarship fund for some special group or just kids who need it. Maybe you’d like to have a small part of funding Meals-on-Wheels or grant some wishes come true through Make A Wish Foundation. Or maybe you’d like to leave something for your church. The possibilities are really endless.

If you answered yes or will be answering yes to any of those in your future, then LIFE INSURANCE is something you should seriously consider.

LIFE INSURANCE IS USUALLY THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO PAY FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE ITEMS.

“How is that possible?” you ask.

Life insurance dollars come to your beneficiaries costing just pennies on the dollar. Here's how it works... Dollars you earn and have put into savings, on the other hand, cost MORE THAN A DOLLAR for every dollar you receive. You work; you get taxes taken out of your pay. Every dollar you spend really costs you about $1.27 to get after you’ve paid the tax man. Life insurance, on the other hand, is ALWAYS delivered for just a fraction of a dollar! You may pay $500 per year for $100,000 of insurance. You may have it for 25 years before you die. $500 x 25 years is only $12,500, yet the policy will pay $100.000. You've paid only 12.5 cents for every dollar of benefit.

I think I know what you’re thinking about this point.
You’re thinking of all the hassle it is to decide what kind and how much and then complete the application and then to get the physical (often you DON’T need one) and then on and on and on…

I know how you can quickly get past all that…
In reality, it only takes about an hour. You can just skim this report to get an overview of what you need to be thinking about and then if you’d like…JUST CALL ME.
I’ll likely take about 10 minutes of your time on the phone to see where you’re at and then, if you’re ready, we’ll set a time to get together. If you just want the information for future reference, that's fine too. It’s really pretty simple and I’LL DO MOST OF THE WORK FOR YOU.

After all… It’s what I do.

So let’s just hop right into it….

7 Things you need to know BEFORE you buy LIFE INSURANCE

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Life Insurance Need-to-Know #1
Don’t buy it unless you need it

The truth is that nearly everybody could probably use a little Life Insurance. Remember the questions we asked above? If you answered yes to any of those or you’d just like to make your exit a little easier on those who are left to sort out the pieces and arrange your funeral and wake, you’re probably a good candidate for at least a little policy.
If you buy the right kind of policy, you’ll build up cash values within the policy and in many cases you’ll build more than the premiums you’ve paid. So if you’re thinking you might need some life insurance, go ahead and get a small policy that builds cash for you and you’ll be on your way.

Sometimes, people just don’t need or want any life insurance. You might be single with no debt and sufficient money in the bank to take care of ALL of your final expenses such as funeral cost, paying off all your debt, enough money to pay for the disposal of all your personal property, etc, etc. If you are, and you just don’t want any life insurance and think that you’ll never need it, then don’t buy it.

But....

If you think you might need it in the future you might want to get a small, cash value policy with a GUARANTEED INSURABILITY OPTION. (means you can buy more later, but you don't have to...)

Life Insurance Need-to-Know #2
If you’re going to buy it, buy the right amount

We could make this portion of this report very lengthy, but I’ll give you a couple of simple options.

First is just the REPLACE MY INCOME estimate. Use the one-step chart below and there’s your answer.

Table 1-Income Replacement

First Column: Annual income to be replaced. Top Row: Years of replacement income required. Table Body: Lump sum life insurance required. Assumptions: Annual inflation rate assumed to be 4.0%; Annual investment return assumed to be 6.0%.

It’s just as easy to buy too much life insurance as it is to buy too little. You want to be sure you have the right amount of coverage.

You should also consider life insurance on your spouse or any other person on whose income you depend to make ends meet each month.

If you’re married with children you should also consider if there additional expenses should you and your spouse die at the same time or within a short time of each other. For example, you might want to provide additional monthly income to whomever you have designated to finish raising your children for you.

This short form can enable you to get a little more specific if you’d like to. It might give you’re a better idea of how much you’ll need.

1. Would you like to pay off your mortgage or have money available to pay the rent? If so, either enter the mortgage amount or your Annual Rent Cost times the Number of Years)You’d like to Provide. (Rent x Years = TOTAL)
$ __________________________

2. How much do you want available to pay off any other debts like credit card balances, car loans, student loans, personal loans, etc.?
$ __________________________

3. How much of your annual income will your family need each year after your death? (Remember if you paid off the house above or provided rent money, you won’t need to include that in their annual needs.) Use the INCOME REPLACEMENT TABLE above.
$ __________________________

4. How much do you want to set aside to pay your funeral costs? You may also want to complete this calculator for your spouse to see if they have a need for life insurance.

$ __________________________

5. How much do you want to set aside for any other needs such as an emergency fund, gifts to charity, or a family member with special needs?
$ __________________________

6. How much do you want to provide for your children's education if you die?
$ __________________________
7. TOTAL NEEDS: (add 1-6 above) $ ____________________

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A. How much life insurance (individual and group) do you have now?
$ __________________________

B. What other assets (such as savings accounts, CDs, mutual funds,
stocks, bonds, 401k, retirement plans, or pension plans) would you
want your family to use to meet these needs?
$ __________________________

C. TOTAL RESOURCES: (add A & B above)
$ __________________________

TOTAL Need for LIFE INSURANCE: (Subtract Line C from Line 7)
$ __________________________

You may also want to complete this calculator for your spouse to see if they have a need for life insurance.

Can I give you a little hint?
If you’re married, let your spouse decide how much life insurance to get on YOUR life -- And vice-versa. Whoever will be around to fix the problems should get to decide how much $ will
be available.

As you fill in the amounts, keep in mind the people that will be dealing with these issues. Do what’s best for them and you’ll be on the right track.

Life Insurance Need-to-Know #3
If you need it, then buy it, AND BUY THE RIGHT KIND

A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TERM AND CASH VALUE INSURANCE Probably one of the best analogies I’ve heard and have used for most of my 25+ years as an agent is this: Cash Value (aka: Permanent, Whole Life, Universal) life insurance is like owning a house. Term life insurance is like renting. When you own a house, initially you will pay a little more each month than you would if you were renting. Yet, in the long run, with the appreciation of the value of your home, you’ll likely make more money than it costs you to live there. Your monthly house payments are really contributing toward your own wealth. It’s like mailing money ahead to YOURSELF! When you rent, you pay less each month but you’re not building any equity or cash value and when you leave, you just leave all that rent money sitting in the landlords bank account. Your monthly rent ends up contributing to your landlord’s wealth instead of your own.

Face it! Odds are you’re going to live a long, happy and healthy life and your family WON’T need this policy. So buy the kind of life insurance where you get some or all of your money BACK when you’re older.

“Cash Value” or “Permanent” life insurance policies are tremendously powerful financial instruments. BUT…they’re designed for insurance that you’ll need to keep for all of your life.

You’ll probably want a little permanent life insurance in your plan because you will SURELY make a claim on it someday. Hopefully it will be when you’re VERY old & wrinkled and your need for life insurance is at a minimum: Just enough to pay off a few bills and cover your funeral expenses.

Realistically, TERM insurance is usually a better choice for those needs you may have now, but will not have forever.

So here’s a couple of help questions for you:

1. Do I want some life insurance in force when I die? (probably yes)
2. What’s my best guess of when that will be? (let’s say you guess 78)
3. How much do I want in place at that time?

Whatever your answer is for question 3, THAT’S how much permanent insurance you should have. Consider term insurance to fill the rest of your needs.If you’re currently one of the bread-winners in your household and there are people depending on your income for everything from food to tuition, then you probably need a pretty big chunk of life insurance – For NOW at least. You likely won’t need that much for the long term. THAT’S where TERM insurance is likely your best bet.

Get some permanent insurance for the long haul; maybe $25,000 - $100,000. Usually you won’t need more than that. Get TERM INSURANCE for the temporary times in your life that you need more. Then DROP IT! No loss.

And here’s the real rub! TERM insurance is usually only renewable to a certain age and even then it gets VERY expensive. When you’re 70 or so (and your income is less because you’ve retired) your term insurance could be too expensive to keep and you may still want or need some life insurance. With permanent insurance, there’s usually enough cash value there so that you can just QUIT PAYING and be insured for life.

Life Insurance Need-to-Know #4
Once you buy it – KEEP IT until your reason for buying it no longer exists

Too many times I’ve seen people buy life insurance: Either term or permanent and then, for some reason, let it drop. Usually it’s for one of a couple of reasons.
They initially got in a little over their heads with too big of a monthly premium and it’s finally caught up to them.
They didn’t buy for the right reasons.

Make a commitment when you get your life insurance to make it comfortable on your budget so you can keep it with no financial pressure. And commit to keep it until the reasons for purchase no longer exist.

For example, if one of your reasons is to ensure that your kids complete college, and then keep it until they’ve all walked across that stage and received their diploma. (Or at least until you’ve made that last tuition payment.)

If you don’t buy this way, you’ll just be wasting your money if you keep the policy for several months and then quit.

Here in the Dennis Volz Agency, we want you to be comfortable with your insurance.
We’ll explain your LIFE INSURANCE options in simple, everyday language that you can understand.
We strive to personalize every insurance policy to be sure you have exactly what you need and want.
NOTHING MORE; NOTHING LESS



Life Insurance Need-to-Know #5
Let Uncle Sam help you pay your premiums

When you purchase permanent life insurance, the money accumulates tax-deferred. You end up saving even more because the accumulation is tax favored. This could make you think that even the Federal Government thinks that life insurance is a good idea!


Life Insurance Need-to-Know #6
Don’t touch the Nest Egg

Money that you contribute to you permanent life insurance can build a significant amount of cash over time. This money is available to you. Let me encourage you that as those numbers start to grow, LEAVE IT ALONE!

Here’s a good rule of thumb to govern your dipping into the nest egg.

NEVER TOUCH THE NEST EGG EXCEPT FOR AN EXTREME EMERGENCY OR A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY.

No, a year-end sale on a Corvette doesn’t count as a PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY! Nice try !

Life Insurance Need-to-Know #7
Review, review, review… But only once a year or so

Every year that you’re living with either too much insurance, the wrong kind of insurance or not enough, you’re probably wasting some money.

A simple review that can take as little as 10-15 minutes over the phone with your agent can prevent this. Sometimes changes in your life can be so much and so harried that you don’t even realize when things affect your needs for life insurance. An agent who’s willing to spend the time required with you and asking the right questions can uncover these changes and often save you hundreds of dollars in the process.

A FEW RANDOM QUESTIONS...

What about my GROUP insurance at work?
Group insurance is probably the LEAST EXPENSIVE of all life insurance policies. Sometimes it’s even FREE! (Well, paid for by your employer anyway) My advice is TAKE IT! But don’t depend on it. Count it as just a little extra, but in addition,
Have your own plan that YOU CONTROL.
Group insurance can come and go. The company can “change the deal.” You could change jobs and be with out coverage for a time. Maybe the new job doesn’t offer group life insurance.
I’ve seen people become uninsurable for health reasons, change jobs and then they’re unable to replace their group insurance. Keep your life insurance under your control not your employer’s or other circumstances beyond your control.

Can Life Insurance double as my RETIREMENT?
Permanent insurance should NEVER be a substitute for a good retirement plan. Any agent that tells you to dump hundreds of dollars a month into a permanent life insurance plan to fund your retirement before you’ve established a good, regular investment program outside of life insurance for your retirement should be questioned.

The permanent portion of your life insurance does give you flexibility in your retirement years. You can keep the insurance, sometimes stop paying the premiums (and continue to be insured), draw on some of the cash value if you need to and a host of other options. But life insurance should never be your main vehicle to retirement planning.

A word about beneficiaries…
The beneficiary is the person who receives the proceeds of a life insurance policy at the death of the insured. Carefully structure and word your beneficiary clause. You can cause big problems if you’re thinking one thing and actually say something else in the beneficiary section of the policy.

Carefully discuss this with your agent. Something as simple as a Per Stirpes clause can save a lot of confusion.

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So how do I know just how much I can afford to spend on my life insurance?

Well we have some suggestions for that for you too. The trick is to know how much you’re spending and where you’re spending it. You can’t know that unless you have a written budget. It’s really the most important key to effective money management. We have some help for you there too. Making a budget isn’t as difficult as you might think. We’ve actually broken it down to 7 simple steps that anyone can follow. If you’ve been frustrated with your money get your FREE REPORT: 7 SIMPLE STEPS Make a budget and STICK TO IT ! just click the link above or give me a call 619-670-1000 or drop me an email
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What about Life Insurance on my kids?
Getting a small policy on kids is usually a great idea. While kids generally don’t need insurance for financial reasons it does a couple of things for them.

First it protects their insurability. Kids can sometimes develop physical problems that make them uninsurable. Doesn’t happen very often, but it’s probably a good idea to get them a nominal permanent policy.
Second, it locks in a nice low monthly premium for them. Life insurance rates on kids are phenomenal. The monthly premium on just a small $25,000 policy on a 30 year old is nearly DOUBLE what it is on a 2 year old. And that premium is good for life!

You’ll always want to get what’s called the GUARANTEED INSURABILITY OPTION. (Look back to the yellow insert )

Why should I buy Life Insurance when I'm young?

1. Life insurance is cheaper when you’re younger. On the permanent portion of your insurance plan, the longer you put your money to work for you, the better the result!
2. When you’re young, you’re insurable. When you’re older; maybe you’re not. We’re all just one doctor visit away from NOT being able to buy life insurance. If you’re diagnosed with even a minor ailment the cost of your life insurance can go up dramatically and in some cases, you won’t be able to buy it at all.

Other questions I could answer (but I won't here...)
Is it ultimately cheaper to pay annually or monthly?
How can I be sure that my life insurance company is safe?
What are ‘Banded Premiums” and how can they save me money?
What about Accidental Death and Dismemberment Riders? Should I have one?
Should I own my own policy or should my spouse?
Can I buy insurance on my business partner?
Is the Non-Tobacco rate really THAT MUCH BETTER?
What’s the difference between dividends and cash value?
What’s a “contestable clause” and how could it hurt me if I don’t understand it?
What are PAID UP ADDITIONS and how can they increase my insurance coverage?

Really.. I could really fill a book.
That’s why you really need a committed agent to do all this thinking with you.
After all… You probably have better things to do.

If you're in or near San Diego County, I'd be happy to help. If you're not, find a good, knowledgeable agent in your area. Take your time... it's an important decision.

When it comes to buying life insurance, you should always deal with a LARGE, WELL-KNOWN, REPUTABLE INSURANCE COMPANY. One easy rule is that if you haven’t heard of them, be suspect. I guarantee you’ve heard of ours – we’ve been at it for over 75 years! Today we have over 7 million life and annuity policies in force. Since 1929 we have been protecting American families one policy at a time. Just go to www.DennisVolz.com . (don't worry, this window will stay right here...)

WOW! Kind of impressive!

I think so.

And it’s ALL included at no additional premium...

We offer NATIONWIDE AND 24 HOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE. That’s right -- Doesn’t matter if it’s a claim or a question. You simply call my office number, 619-670-1000 and you’ll have access to our 24 Hour Customer Response Team and/or to my personal cell phone.
Should you need insurance help while away from home, we have over 1000 claim offices and over 16,000 agent offices across the United States and Canada all committed to giving you friendly, efficient home-town service (even if you’re from California ! )

We also offer free 24 hour online access to your policy information. Our company website offers you more insurance information than your brain can possibly hold. It’s all available with just the click of your mouse, 24/7/365.

We’re a friendly, local office with a licensed, trained team to assist you in every phase of your insurance. We’ve been in business here in San Diego County for over 25 years.
And, BONUS!
Whenever you call us during regular business hours, there’s NO ELECTRONIC TELEPHONE MENU to navigate -- Just a friendly voice on the phone ready to help you. (if you call after hours, there is a single-choice menu where you simply choose to leave a voicemail or to speak to a real, LIVE person)
Go ahead try it right now. If it’s during business hours, you’ll get us; after hours and you’ll get the Customer Response Center. 619-670-1000 !

“WOW”, you say!
“And that’s all included at no additional premium?”

This is so simple and easy to do.
We do all the work for you and in usually less than 30 minutes, you’ll have protected your family, their future financial stability, and your peace of mind!

Why somebody wouldn’t have their LIFE INSURANCE with us is simply beyond me.

In our agency we offer you 5 different ways to pay your premiums.
You have your choice of annual, semi-annual, Quarterly, Monthly and SPECIAL MONTHLY…
“So what’s so special about SPECIAL MONTHLY,” you might ask.
It’s special cuz it’s just so insanely easy.

We set it up for you and your monthly payment comes right out of your checking account: Same day; Every month.

Once again, If you're in or near San Diego County, I'd be happy to help.

You’ve got everything to gain and NOTHING to lose.
I look forward to talking with you soon!

It's a Good Life !

Dennis Volz Insurance Agency
10783 Jamacha Bl, Suite 1, Spring Valley, CA 91978
OFFICE: (619) 670-1000 - FAX: (619) 670-1121

eMail:Dennis@DennisVolzInsurance.com

Websites: Company Site: DennisVolzInsurance.com

Client Convenience Site: 6701000.com

My 'Other Blogs'
Working by Referral
Musings from California

This post contains only a general description of coverages and is not your insurance contract. Details of coverage or limits can vary. All coverages are determined by the terms, provisions, exclusions and conditions of your policy along with any endorsements.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright (c) 2006 – SmarterInsurance Inc -- No part of this document may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission of the copyright owner. LEGAL NOTICES: While attempts have been made to verify the information provided, SmarterInsurance Inc will not assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Since this document presents general discussions, always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific tax, legal, financial, and personal circumstances. (911.21740)