* Health care coverage is the most important benefit unless you are already protected by a spouse’s medical plan. * If you are married - especially if you have children - securing life insurance and disability insurance are critical to your family’s well-being. * Save as much as you can as early as you can for retirement to take advantage of the long-term benefits of compound earnings. At a minimum, contribute enough to your employer’s 401(k) or other retirement savings plan to obtain any matching contributions. * It’s less critical for lower-paid employees earning the minimum wage or close to it to save for retirement because Social Security will replace a relatively high percentage of your pre-retirement earnings. Other benefits such as health care and insurance protection are likely more important. * Take advantage of employer-provided wellness benefits to boost your physical, emotional and financial health.—BPT
What you do matters.
Veterans: Are you missing out on key benefits?
There are currently 19.6 million veterans in the United States. These hard working men and women have access to a variety of programs and benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs during active duty and retirement - yet many are not taking full advantage. Why? One reason is that the VA system can be difficult to navigate. That’s where the Military Order of the Purple Heart National Service Officers can help. NSOs are accredited veteran representatives located at VA regional offices, medical centers or clinics, and
military bases throughout the country. Guidance from these experts can make all the difference for veterans of all ages. In 2014, National Service Officers helped over 19,000 veterans get over 300 million dollars in lifetime benefits from the VA. “My job is to get them [veterans] the most compensation I possibly can within the guidelines, but I also want to take care of them,” says Sandra Ripe of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Program. “I always encourage them to go to the VA and
38 RuralLeaderMagazine.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
