Life Insurance Keeps a Business in the Family

By Trilogy Financial
October 9, 2023
Share on:

In the heart of a bustling town, Ernesto “Peanut” Folks stood as the owner of an auto body repair shop, where years of hard work and dedication had woven into the very fabric of his business. His vision for the future was crystal clear—passing the torch and the legacy of his shop to his son, Ernesto. This is the remarkable story of how life insurance, often overlooked, can emerge as a beacon of hope and resilience when we need it most.

Ernesto “Peanut” Folks was the proud owner of an auto body repair shop, and his plan was to one day pass along the business to his son, Ernesto. Life insurance was never on Peanut’s radar until an insurance professional spoke to him about how it could help him protect the business and its 10 employees.

Downturns in the business would sometimes make it hard for Peanut to make his premium payment. He considered dropping the policy but ultimately kept it in place.

When Peanut was diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer, his doctors gave him just six months to live. The treatments that followed kept him away from work, and medical bills mounted.

Given his terminal diagnosis, a provision in his life insurance policy called an accelerated death benefit allowed him to access a portion of the money from that policy while he was still alive. In the months before his death at age 49, Peanut was able to pay off his debts and turn the body shop over to Ernesto, fulfilling his dream.

Talk to an insurance professional about how life insurance can protect your business and your legacy.

Download this comprehensive blog as a concise one-page here: Life Insurance Keeps a Business in the Family

You may also like:

By
Gonzalo de Leon Plata
September 27, 2017

When you put the words, “retirement,” “investments” and “risk” in the same sentence, most of us will automatically think about market risk, you know, the possibility for an investor to experience losses due to overall performance of financial markets1.  According to the 2014 Annual Retirement Confidence survey, 88% of retirees are worried about maintaining the same standard of living.  While Market Risk is a very real reason to worry, there are other risks that may throw a wrench into your financial plan. This time we will discuss the possible need for Advance medical care, how much it could cost, and how to be ready for it.

The Risk: There is a 50% chance that any of us will need some form of Advance Medical Care2.  In other words you or your spouse WILL need Advance Medical Care. The risks are so high and yet most investors don’t prepare of it.

The Cost: Know the potential damage. The numbers don’t lie. The average cost of long term care in the US for Nursing Home Care for a Semi -Private room is a whopping $225 per day3.  The average stay in a Nursing home is 892 days.  For easy math you are looking at a $200,000+ cost above and beyond your living expenses.

The Solution: Use small dollars to cover big expenses. Get life insurance with living benefits.

One solution that is becoming more and more popular is getting a life insurance plan that can be used to cover Advanced Medical Care. Some insurance companies offer something called Living Benefits Riders. These riders allow you to “advance” a portion of your death benefit if certain conditions are met, such as Terminal illness, problems with the Activities of Daily Living  and life threatening conditions.

Building a Financial Plan that can withstand the risks of life is complicated.  Make sure you hire a Financial Coach to help you prepare for the unknown. Thinking outside the box may be a way to protect your golden years.

[1] www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketrisk.asp

[2] http://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/learning-center/probability-long-term-care.php

[3] www.genworth.com/about-us/industry-expertise/cost-of-care.html#

By Trilogy Financial
October 13, 2025

Starting December 16, 2025, Meta will begin using what you say or ask in Meta AI chats to personalize what you see on Facebook and Instagram.

  • Example: If you ask Meta AI for hiking tips, you may start seeing more hiking posts or ads.
  • Meta says it will not use AI chats about sensitive topics such as politics, religion, or health.
  • Users will begin receiving notifications about this change in October.

 

What This Means for You

Your social media experience may start to feel more personalized, but it also means Meta will collect and analyze more information about your interests based on your AI conversations.

 

Possible Risks

  • Less Privacy: Your AI chats could influence what ads or posts you see. Even if Meta says it is not reading your full conversations, it is still learning from them.
  • Unintended Targeting: You may start seeing ads or content you did not expect, based on what you mentioned to Meta AI.
  • Misunderstandings: If the AI misinterprets what you say, it could lead to inaccurate suggestions or assumptions about your interests.
  • Data Sharing Concerns: More information about you increases the risk if Meta’s systems are ever compromised or misused.

 

What You Can Do

You do not have to stop using Meta AI, but you can take steps to control how much it learns from you.

  1. Limit what you share with Meta AI.
    Avoid asking personal or sensitive questions.
    Treat AI chats like public posts and do not share anything private.
  2. Review your ad preferences.
    Go to Settings → Ads Preferences on Facebook or Instagram.
    Adjust “Ad Topics” and “Activity Used for Ads” to limit personalization.
  3. Use the “Why am I seeing this” option.
    Tap the three dots on any ad or post to understand why it was shown and make changes.
  4. Turn off AI features where possible.
    You can skip or decline to use Meta AI in searches or chats.
  5. Stay alert for prompts.
    Meta will notify users about this update. Take a moment to read the message before clicking “Agree.”

 

Bottom Line

Meta’s AI is designed to make your social media feed feel more relevant, but it also means the company is using new kinds of data about you. If you use Meta AI, be thoughtful about what you share and take a few minutes to review your privacy settings so you stay in control.

Get Started on Your Financial Life Plan Today