Advertising during Soccer Games Has Evolved

You can find more soccer games and championships being shown on American television now more than ever. The game has never had the following is enjoys in Europe, South America, and the rest of the world.

The American public is much more interested as a whole in sports like baseball, basketball, and American football. Soccer remains a second rate sport in terms of popularity. As a result, it was rarely shown on major sport channels like ESPN. It also seems like American professional leagues and college teams are all but ignored, especially with dedicated internet access when life gets in the way of TV viewing.

Things are slowly starting to change as soccer becomes more relevant and interesting to American's today. It also helps that advertisers are starting to take note of the game. This has resulted in more air time across a variety of channels at prime time.

In a 1994 article in MIT's The Tech, columnist Michael K. Chung argues that soccer is not shown often in America due to its game structure. The whole game is split into two halves that are never stopped. Thus, there is no time for commercial break during game time. Halftime is the only period when this is possible. As a result, advertisers stayed away from the game. It is only now nearly twenty years later that things are changing.

Most games from Europe are played in the middle of the night. This allows broadcasters to play the big game later during prime time with commercial breaks. This has piqued the interest of major corporations that are eager to tap into a previously ignored fan base. If these companies can grab their attention, then they will be able to improve their margins thanks to legions of soccer fans watching commercials during PrimeTime air play.

Soccer still continues to be shown on 2nd level sport channels dedicated to the sport or only available on satellite through cable TV deals. However, it is a start. Teams like L.A. Galaxy were able to draw in commercial support when they brought in soccer legend David Beckham. Beckham's popularity and iconic status drew the attention of big sports companies who were eager to cash in America's sudden interest in the sport. Now that Beckham is gone once again, there will need to be another celebrity draw to the game. In lieu of actual commercials, companies are able to provide sponsorship and support teams who will display their logos on team jerseys and around the stadium. However, near-field advertising and team sponsorship can only go so far in the eyes of the advertisers.

It is unfortunate that the game does not have the coverage other sports enjoy. However, with the continued support of advertisement, then it will hopefully be aired more. Perhaps if the game was shown as much on TV than it would become as popular as it is elsewhere in the world. However, there still seems the needs for broadcast support which only appears when potential advertising revenue is present.

How to Find the Right Medicare Plan for You

Choosing a Medicare plan can be a daunting task. Not only do you have to understand what Medicare does and doesn't cover, you have to understand how it pays for services, when it pays services, and how you can supplement it to ensure all of your medical costs are covered. Your job, when selecting a Medicare plan, is to fit the pieces together to form a coherent, comprehensive plan that you can afford. This guide will help you do just that.

Understanding Medicare

The first step to choosing a Medicare plan is to understand what Medicare is and how it works. Medicare is often touted as the affordable health care plan, but there is actually no limit to the out-of-pocket expenses you could be responsible for under Medicare. For instance, consider that the Part A deductible is not an annual deductible, which means that you may have to pay the same $1,184 deductible multiple times in a year. Paying it once is bad enough, but bills can really pile up if you have to pay it over and over again.

The best way to understand Medicare is to realize that the basic plan is not enough. You need coverage that will ensure that you aren't on the hook for thousands of dollars if your happen to fall into the categories that have you paying deductibles more than once or covering expenses over and above what Medicare will cover. Choosing Medicare coverage should always include choosing a Medigap plan, such as the plans offered by MediGapAdvisors.com. Here is a brief overview of Medigap coverage.

Medigap: Extending Medicare Protection

The best way to understand what costs Medicare doesn't cover is to look at plans that are designed specifically to fill in those gaps. These plans, referred to as Medigap Plans, can vary some from state to state, but the general idea is to cover shortfalls in Medicare. There are ten different Medigap plans labeled A - G and then K - N. Each plan offers different levels of coverage for the following Medicare gaps.

• Coverage for hospital costs for an additional year after Medicare Part A benefits are used up.
• Coverage for deductibles associated with Medicare Part A. 
• Coverage for deductibles and other expenses (called "excess expenses") associated with gaps in Medicare Part B.
• Coverage of blood transfusions. 
• Payment for hospice care. 
• Payment for skilled nursing care. 
• Coverage for medical care during foreign travel.

The list does go on, but the point is clear. There are a lot of gaps in Medicare coverage and you have to decide how best to fill them. Each of the ten plans covers these gaps in different ways for different costs. Plan F, for instance, covers 100% of the costs that Medicare doesn't. Of course, it is a more expensive plan than say Plan K, which covers most things to 50% of their total cost and does not cover certain gaps at all.

Making Sense of It

Making sense of Medicare takes time and effort. There are advisors available to help you, but a great deal of information is available online. You will need to know what types of coverage you expect to use (you may not need foreign travel coverage, but blood transfusion coverage may be critical) and how much you can afford to pay. Let those two factors be your guides, but remember that there are advisors who know the system well and can help you get more coverage even if you think you can't afford it. The worse thing you can do is go without coverage that you think you need, so be diligent and ask for help. There is almost always a solution.

Billy Henderson has many years of experience in the healthcare industry. He enjoys explaining the ins and outs of the system to help the everyday person understand the options.

4 Tricks for Investing After Retirement That Stretch Your Savings

retirement (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

Saving for retirement is one of the most important financial responsibilities that all people share. While most people plan decades in advance and have well established retirement savings plans, very few consider that they will need to continue to invest after they retire. Those that are in retirement should consider the following investment tricks, which will help to ensure that their retirement savings last. 

Invest in an Income Stream

When looking to make their savings last, retirees should consider making an investment that will provide them with a source of income, which could replace some or all of their expenses. A very common investment would be to purchase an annuity. This gives a steady income potentially for life, depending on the annuity type, while the owner also enjoys some tax benefits. Those that are willing to take on a little bit more risk and potentially receive a better return could consider purchasing a piece of investment real estate, such as a small apartment building, and lease it out to tenants. Such investments provide a steady source of income even if initial retirement funds are eventually exhausted.

Hedge Against Inflation

The second trick to follow while investing in retirement is to hedge against inflation. Inflation is one of the most underestimated expenses. While inflation has been low for awhile, over time it can greatly dilute the value of your assets. Instead of keeping your money in cash or money market accounts, at a minimum you should be investing in treasury bills and low-risk bonds, which tend to at least appreciate at the same rate as inflation. Be aware that inflation can cause your funds to decrease in value over time and plan accordingly.

Invest for Growth

While most retirees may focus on ensuring that their assets last their lifetime, it would still be a good idea to invest at least a portion of your portfolio for growth. At least twenty percent of your portfolio should be invested in industries, markets, and companies that are poised for growth. This amount will allow your assets to grow without taking on too much risk if there is a decline in value.

Consider Tax Implications

The fourth trick to maximize retirement savings is to remember to consider the tax implications of any withdrawal from a retirement account that you make. During retirement, withdrawals from your 401k will be taxed at the federal and state level. Depending on the type of IRA you have, the withdrawals may not be taxed at all. Because of this, you should be conscious to ensure that the withdrawals you make from your account limit your tax liability, which will ultimately allow your retirement savings to last.

In conclusion, saving and investing properly for retirement is very important, but investing during retirement can be just as important. No one wants to print a check one day and have it bounce because the retirement savings they've counted on have run out! For those that are looking to invest in retirement and prevent any potential financial disasters, there are several tricks that should be followed, which will help to ensure that their savings last as long as they need to.

The 4 Ways Health Care Has Changed For Your Retirement Fund

Most retirees depend upon Medicare for health care. The Affordable Care Act made changes that continue to go into effect throughout the rest of the first quarter of the century. Your retirment fund should be on the forefront of your mind and every aspect should be accounted for. For many senior citizens the changes affect how much of their retirement fund is allocated for medical care. Although there are many changes, four stand out in particular.

Preventative Services

Medicare insurance companies have to provide some preventative checkup services for free that required a co-pay in the past. Mammograms and colonoscopies are two of the screenings now completely covered. A yearly check-up is now also included as part of the free service. However, to pay for the new services many insurance companies are cutting other services that they were not required to pay for but covered as part of their marketing. For example, many Medicare enrollees no longer have free access to health clubs through their policy. The key here is to remember that changes have been made and to fully research what you are covered for exactly. 

Pharmaceutical Drugs

Greater access to pharmaceutical drugs at a discounted price is part of the ACA. The “doughnut hole” is being discarded, which can save many seniors several thousand dollars a year. Seniors can continue to use an ongoing drug treatment program without fear of running out of money halfway through. A greater percentage of coverage has gone into effect for both brand name and generic drugs. 

Medicare Advantage

Those who are on Medicare Advantage may feel that they have lost the advantage the program provided. Known for its low cost care, the program is suffering under the ACA. Many insurance companies are raising the cost for the program, and the services it provides. It has become much more competitive with the standard Medicare Part B supplement program. Many seniors are finding it financially wise to meet with a Medicare insurance agent to compare plans and finding the best option for them. 

Dental Care

The greatest change is one that did not happen in spite of the desires of many seniors. The ACA did not provide any additional coverage for dental care. Medicare does not cover any treatment for the general health of the teeth, leaving seniors to handle expensive bills on their own. Fortunately for them places such as Ivory Dental Centre exist to provide excellent care for reasonable fees. Many dental practices also extend credit to help patients with extensive bills.



Managing retirement and health care remains a juggling act. The changes to Medicare make part of the task easier, but care is needed to understand all the options. Make sure you contact your insurance representative and ask if the changes made will affect you and make sure you fully understand everything that is going on with your funds. Preparation is going to be needed as you enter retirement, make sure nothing goes unnoticed.

Will High State Taxes Drive High Earner Out of State?

It’s a question that every community has to ask itself at some point. Should the wealthy members of society be taxed at a greater rate than those less wealthy? For some states, the answer is clearly yes. For others, state tax for higher earners comes at a cost. Wealthier residents have one less economically fruitful reason to stay in a state that takes away a greater percentage of their fortune than another. Whereas New York City and California, for instance, are happy to impose high state tax on the rich, other states such as Texas and Tennessee have no state income taxes at all. The question remains, which is the better option? 

The benefits

The benefits of taxing high earners are relatively clear. For starters, the state has more money to spend on the things it prioritises for the community. This may mean more revenue for health care and social security for example. Money to fund these kinds of social benefits has to be drawn from somewhere and it seems reasonable that those with higher incomes should contribute more. After all, the wealthy typically enjoy an abnormally high standard of living. In fact, for many of any given state’s richest inhabitants, increased taxation would barely be felt, such is the magnitude of the incomes enjoyed by top earners. If only others could be so fortunate. With growing national debt and the spectre of domestic and international crisis looming, can states really afford not to tax their higher earners? If the recent recession has taught us anything, surely it’s that the problem of unsustainable profit-seeking combined with federal deficit has to be addressed; and soon. One of the obvious steps to be made is to enforce tax laws that reflect the needs of the times we live in, where untaxed millionaires can no longer avoid contributing to state funds some of their own disproportionate wealth. In this way, governments can make steps towards the redistribution of wealth and the containing any disproportionate influence enjoyed solely as a consequence of their affluence. 

The downsides

The rich know how to stay rich. There is the possibility that by altering state tax, higher earners will simply alter their spending in response, an economic phenomenon known as the Laffer Curve. By changing investment and tax behaviours, revenues can even decrease as a result of upping taxes for the wealthy. In general terms this seems obvious; higher taxes means less money to spend and invest and a slowing of the economy, which in turn can mean additional costs, such as support for any resultant increase in unemployment or homelessness, as changes affect poorer members of society. It is important to stay on top of how taxes might affect you, preferably by being connected to tax preparation services. These kinds of taxes, targeted at higher income brackets, can end up hitting the middle classes – particular during periods of inflation. Furthermore, there is no guarantee government will use any additional money it receives to spend and invest efficiently. In fact, it can risk only acting as providing less incentive to careful government budgeting and cutting at a time when governments should be leading the way. The most obvious set-back is the reaction of the rich themselves. Not only can laws whereby the wealthy are taxed at a higher rate than the poor be seen by some to antagonise class differences – there is the very real possibility that richer inhabitants of the state will simply leave, and move to another area where they are taxed less. Lower taxes means more money, more potential profit and more investment opportunities, opportunities that may taken elsewhere should higher earners feel tax rates are too high in the state they currently reside in. 

What to do?

It certainly is a difficult question. Power comes with wealth, and with wealth should come both certain responsibilities. As is well known, federal debt in the US runs into the trillions, as does its annual spending. What the government takes in per year does not even come close to covering its costs, yet alone its debts. Something has to change, and fast. Some states have opted for increased revenues; taxing the rich to alleviate the economic problem. With movements like Occupy Wall Street gaining ground in America and internationally, it is no secret that the top 1% own between 40 and 50 percent of given wealth. These arguments seem convincing, and merit strong consideration. However, other states have argued that the rich already pay a significant amount of total taxes to federal governments, while lower classes sometimes pay nothing at all. Whether or not higher taxes on the rich can go some way to solving current economic difficulties is something that has to be worked out within each state – but undoubtedly, it’s a conversation each state needs to be taking seriously.

The Bankruptcy Battle - 4 Signs You Need To Declare Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy (Photo credit: LendingMemo)

Bad things can happen to good people. Personal financial difficulties often go hand-in-hand with challenging situations including illness, divorce or the loss of employment. Unfortunately, your creditors will often be unwilling to make payment arrangements that are affordable for you. Remember that no matter how large your debt, you still need to maintain your current living expenses. One of the most common reasons that people file bankruptcy is a loss of income. Not everyone who loses a job will file for bankruptcy. Here are 4 signs that you need to declare bankruptcy.

You Can Not Afford to Pay Your Bills

If you have found yourself in a situation where you are unable to fulfill your financial obligations, it might be a good time to consider declaring bankruptcy. According to Paddon & Yorke Inc, dealing with debt is very stressful. If you are being harassed by creditors who are unwilling to help you negotiate lower or deferred payments, filing bankruptcy papers will bring that harassment to an immediate end. While filing for personal bankruptcy may seem scary, there’s a lot of personal bankruptcy firms in Toronto who can help you. 

You Have Become Ill or Disabled

If you have medical expenses piling up and you are unable to pay them, it might be a good time to declare bankruptcy. This is a very common reason for filing, as explained above. Bankruptcy will help you to get a repayment plan that you can afford, or it may discharge your medical debt completely. And being ill or disabled automatically qualifies you for some government benefits, which may also aid in you reorganizing your finances in such a way that you can afford to work through the payments and get your money back on track. 

Are You Trying to Save Your Home?

If you are at risk of losing your home because you are trying to balance too much debt, this is a sign that you should consider bankruptcy. You can make new payment terms with your mortgage company as a part of the process, while your other debts are discharged. This will give you the financial ability to pay your mortgage and to stay in your home. Losing your house is usually a last-resort thing and means that you’re in some serious trouble, but it also gives you a lot of motivation to help fix your finances. In these situations, a little bit of healthy fear will go a long ways to helping you fix the way you spend and manage your money. 

Do You Live Paycheck to Paycheck?

While many people live paycheck to paycheck, some find it easier than others. If you have found yourself in a situation where you can no longer afford to pay your debts and need a fresh start, this is another sign that you might want to declare bankruptcy. While bankruptcy is not the best answer for everyone, it can help to alleviate financial strain on families struggling to meet day to day needs. Especially if you have a family, living paycheck to paycheck is not an ideal situation. Kids get sick, and other expenses come up that you can’t predict. Getting yourself to a stable financial situation is imperative.

If you have found yourself in any or all of the above situations, you should seriously consider declaring bankruptcy now. It will help you get your life back on track and give your a fresh financial start. Whether you have recently lost your job, faced an illness or injury or are recently divorced, there is no reason that a few bad years should ruin your life forever.