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Get expert insights to life and health insurance, from your local, experienced, independent agents in small-town Michigan!

Health Insurance

What are Qualifying Life Events for Health Insurance?

Here’s what you should know about qualifying life events and special enrollment periods with regards to your health insurance. You only have a certain amount of time to change your plan!

Life Insurance

Do I Pay Taxes on Life Insurance Payouts?

Here’s what to expect if you ever receive a life insurance policy payout, and what to know if you’re planning to protect your own loved ones with a life insurance policy from Quality Choice Insurance.

Auto, Safety

Beware of Parking Lot Hazards at the Holidays

During the busy holiday season, there are many distractions that make parking lots a fairly dangerous place to be. The combination of early sunset, increased traffic and pedestrians, scam artists, vandals and thieves, and people in…

Other

Prepare a Digital Estate Plan for Future Caregivers

How to provide the information they’ll need to manage your online data by Amanda Singleton, AARP, June 11, 2019 GETTY IMAGES En español | My mother kept a little black book. Not the fun kind filled with suitors’ phone…

Safety

How to Thwart Porch Pirates

As the holiday shopping season gets started and more people are shopping online, the threat of having your packages stolen from your doorstep continues growing. One of the modern plagues during the holiday season is the emergence of…

Safety

How to Outsmart a Burglar and Keep Your Home Safe

Written by Monique Seitz-Davis | Updated December 27, 2017 In 2014, two Minnesota men were robbing a car repair shop when one of the thieves accidentally pocket-dialed 911. As you can imagine, this butt-dial inadvertently…

Healthy Living

How Not to Gain Weight During the Holidays

Indulge wisely during the most 'carbiest' time of the year by Kimberly Goad, AARP, November 22, 2019 BHOFACK2/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY IMAGES Two pounds. That's how much adults gain, on average, after Thanksgiving. Not…

Auto, Safety

Winter Car Care Tips: Keep Your Vehicle in Peak Condition During Frigid Weather

Don't let cold temperatures wreak havoc on your car By Jon Linkov January 02, 2018 Keep these five car-care tips in mind as the mercury plummets. You don't want to be stranded by a dead battery or get into an accident because…

Other

5 Fun Ways to Use Your Smartphone Photos

Get the most from your saved memories by Marc Saltzman, AARP, November 18, 2019 GETTY IMAGES You've taken hundreds or even thousands of photos with your smartphone. The problem is those images are trapped on that digital device.…

Healthy Living

How to Beat Holiday Stress

Whether you're feeling anxious, worried or lonely, we've got tips for bringing back some peace of mind by Barbara O'Dair, AARP, November 22, 2019 ARIEL SKELLEY/GETTY IMAGES Whether you're looking forward to the holidays or secretly…

Healthy Living, Safety

12 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season

Español (Spanish) Brighten the holidays by making your health and safety a priority. Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy—and ready to enjoy the holidays. Wash hands often to help prevent the spread of germs. It’s…

Other

Grossology: The Science of the Disgusting

Kids and adults learn how and why the body does those yucky things it does - like pooping, farting, belching, and making snot. By Jeanie Lerche Davis FROM THE WEBMD ARCHIVES "Sometimes it's stinky. Sometimes it's crusty. And…

Healthy Living

Happy Thanksgiving from QCI

L to R, Jack Draper, Rachel Danz & Marcia Thompson Quality Choice Insurance Agency (QCI) wishes you a safe and happy Thanksgiving! We hope you enjoy the day with family and friends. If you can not spend the day with family and friends,…

Healthy Living, Other

Knowing is Not Enough—Act on Your Family Health History

Has your mother or sister had breast cancer? Does your mother, father, sister, or brother have diabetes? Did your mother, father, brother, or sister have colorectal (colon) cancer before age 50? If you answered “yes,” you are more likely…

Healthy Living, Safety

Painkillers Driving Addiction, Overdose

Drug poisoning is now the No. 1 cause of unintentional death in the United States. In 2017, a total of 61,311 people died from drug overdoses – many from prescription opioid medicine. Many adults prescribed opioids by doctors…

Healthy Living

4 Reasons Sleep Is So Important for Weight Loss

By Bojana GalicOctober 29, 2019 While every weight-loss program or diet has its own nuanced take on the process, the basics are generally the same and involve trimming calories while increasing exercise. But most plans neglect…

Healthy Living

Self-Care Practices to Try Over the Holidays to Avoid Seasonal Stress

Together with Athleta, we're compiling actionable wellness advice you need from the experts—and Well+Good is bringing it to life all year long at events in NYC. Here, reiki master and empowerment coach Kelsey J. Patel…

Healthy Living

Always look on the bright side: being an optimist can help you live longer.

Studies have found that optimism is beneficial to your overall health, but is linked to a healthy heart and can even help ward off diseases.Optimists often have lower blood pressure, which reduces the…

Financial Planning

The Pros and Cons of Living Trusts

You can use them to avoid probate, but not everyone needs one by Jane Bryant Quinn, AARP, Updated October 22, 2019 STEVE CHENN/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES PLUS En español | You have a will (I hope!), but is that enough? Would you…

Healthy Living, Safety

#BeThere For The Holidays

Although this article is focused on the military, the content is important for the holidays for both our military and other family members. According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, it is a commonly-held misconception that…

Safety

Enjoy a Safe Holiday Season

Holiday safety is an issue that burns brightest from late November to mid-January, when families gather, parties are scheduled and travel spikes. Take some basic precautions to ensure your family remains safe and injury-free throughout the…

Other

Happy Veterans Day!

The theme for the 2019 Veterans Day Poster is: “Service” Veterans contribute to American society in many ways; not just during their time in active duty. Throughout our history, military service members have put on their…

Healthy Living

Vaping Dangers for Older Adults

What to know about recent lung illnesses and deaths by Sari Harrar, AARP, Updated October 17, 2019 BSIP/GETTY IMAGES En español | If you're over 50 and vaping, it's officially high time to switch off that e-cigarette. All…

Healthy Living

What You Can Do to Avoid the Flu

Fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, nausea: If these symptoms hit, you may have been bitten by the flu bug. Who is Most Vulnerable? People over age 65 comprised about 70% to 90% of all cases of flu in…