The subject of disability insurance causes a lot of confusion. Disability insurance -- and all the other types of policies promising to pay the bills should the unthinkable happen -- could put you in the premium-paying poor house.

Comparing the features, advantages and benefits of different policies takes such an inordinate amount of time and understanding that most people get overwhelmed. The legalese alone is enough to make most folks give up; then the twisting and turning of policy language is exhausting. As a result, folks either sign up and hope for the best or the entire selection process gets pushed aside completely.

The golden rule in buying insurance applies to purchasing almost anything: stick with the process until you have the best of what you want for the price you can afford. When you sign the application for insurance you should really be able to explain to your spouse what you just bought and how the policy is supposed to work. If you don’t understand any of the legalese, have the phrases translated into plain English before you buy. Finally, when your policy arrives, make sure what you were sold is what has just been delivered.

Here’s a basic set of rules for disability insurance:

• Get your individual disability coverage when you’re young. The premiums are cheaper because you likely have no adverse health history to report and you can lock in low premiums for the life of the policy.
• Decide how much individual coverage you can afford; to save a few bucks on the premium, extend your waiting period before benefits kick in from 90 to 180 days.
• Always obtain the longest benefit period possible that protects you in your “own occupation.” Look very closely at policies that only protect your “own occupation” for 24 months then require you be disabled from every occupation based on your training, education and experience.
• Take a hard look at the ‘limitation on benefits’ section, since many carriers limit mental/nervous claims to 24 months, offer no benefits for pregnancy, and cap self-reported claims like headaches and chronic fatigue.

Did you know that children are more sensitive to the effects of air pollution than adults? And, did you know the air quality inside a car is worse than the air outside, especially in heavy traffic? This is something to consider when taking a summer road trip that will tour through cities.

Roadside air -- especially along busy roads and highways -- contains pollen, dust, soot and smog whose harmful effects are well-documented. Much like the filter in your home’s heating system, your vehicle’s cabin air filter traps the dust, dirt and grime from the road and pumps clean air into the passenger compartment.

However, over time, like any other filter in your car or home, it can get clogged and actually multiply the dangers associated with these pollutants when the vehicle’s heating and air conditioning system blows them into the closed interior with no avenue for escape.

According to the American Lung Association’s 2006 State of the Air report, children are more likely to suffer from the effects of air pollution than adults because their lungs are still growing and because their bodies’ ability to fight off infections is still developing.

AAA, among other auto-groups, recommends you change your vehicle’s cabin filter annually or every 12,000 to 15,000 miles or more often if you live in an area with higher pollution levels.
A clean filter in your car might be the subtle difference between happy travel from point A to point B, and a stifling environment that contributes to general malaise.

Planning is a key ingredient to the success of any business venture. Yet most business owners, particularly in family operations, are wrapped up in day-to-day operations. That leaves little time for the important task of succession planning, which is a major concern of the Baby Boomer generation. Here are a few tips concerning how to start thinking about passing a business to the next generation if you see retirement coming within several years:

• Bring in outside experts. Hiring the right professionals – including a business intermediary -- will help insure you have the best possible succession plan. They will look more objectively at the business and your goals.
• Involve family members in the planning process. Developing a succession plan and simply announcing it to the family will only bring discontent when you unveil the plan.
• Train your successors and work with them. Take time to work with the person selected to take over so he or she knows what's needed to keep the business successful.
• Look at all options. Consider that management and ownership aren't necessarily one and the same. You may look to one family member as a manager, but transfer ownership equally to several members of the family.
• Be realistic. Of course you want to turn the business over to your eldest son or daughter so they can follow in your footsteps. But carefully consider if that's the best option. Consider another family member, someone else within the company, or selling the company to an outside party. A business intermediary can guide you through the transaction process.

It’s logical to believe that road trips are more popular these days because of all the technology and entertainment options that are available to keep the family occupied in the car or minivan -- but good music continues to be one of the most important factors in keeping road trips running smoothly.

Portable music players like iPods are definitely making their way into the road trip lexicon, but not as much as one might think. Only 14 percent of respondents indicated they use their iPod on the road. CDs were the most popular option for music on road trips (44 percent), while tuning into the radio (34 percent) continues to work well for many families.

As far as who picks the music, mom and dad still dominate what comes out of the speakers, choosing the tunes more than 60 percent of the time. Most families enjoy variety while they listen as the majority prefers a mix of all musical genres to keep everyone happy. Some (34 percent) even create special play-lists that include favorite songs from each family member.

In a poll of the best driving songs, Don McLean’s eight-and-a-half minute opus “American Pie” was the top choice at 22 percent, followed by John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (14 percent) and Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again” (13 percent). For summer vacation-themed songs that are popular on road trips, the Beach Boys still rule with their 1963 hit “Surfin’ USA,” favored by 20 percent of respondents.

Other favorites were “Cheeseburger in Paradise” (19 percent) by Jimmy Buffet, “Summer of ‘69” (11 percent) by Bryan Adams and “I Can See Clearly Now” (10 percent) by Johnny Nash.

In case you’ve hit a sour note with music on your previous road trips, try these tips to make your next trip a sure hit:

• If everyone is going to listen to the same thing, make sure to mix up the type music and let different family members have a turn at choosing.
• There’s nothing worse than relying on the radio and only being able to tune in the farm report. Make sure to pack plenty of your own CDs and/or cassettes.
• Embrace new technology. Advancements like satellite radio are perfect for road trips, ensuring great-sounding music from coast to coast.
• Mix tapes/CDs are the perfect way to include variety in your road trip. Get everyone’s input on their favorite songs or conduct your own poll of the best road-trip tunes.
• The family won’t always be in harmony. Don’t be afraid to get the kids their own MP3 players so everyone can listen to what they want.

First National Bank in Mahnomen, PO Box 378, 103 North Main St., Mahnomen MN 56557
Phone: 218-935-5251    Toll-free: 1-877-935-5251    24-Hour TeleBanc: 1-800-933-5814
Fax: 218-935-2794

First National Bank is an Equal Housing Lender.
Member FDIC.