Hybrids are even trending in insurance

As Baby Boomers are realizing they may need long-term care insurance, they are hit with many challenges.  The marketplace is shrinking, the cost of premiums is soaring, and providers are altering the policies they offer. These in demand long-term care insurance help cover expenses that typical health insurance doesn't such as nursing homes, in-home care, and assisted living.

Insurance companies have had to make major adjustments because the claims on long-term health care policies have exceeded their predictions due to people living longer and developing long-term illnesses.  Topped with that, near record-low interest rates have depressed what the industry ears on the premium it collects. Ten of the top 20 individual long-term insurance carriers have bailed out in the past five years. This has caused the remaining insurance carriers to raise premiums.  This shows the effect of a competitive market.  The companies that  can't stay in drop out and the other companies gain more demand and can raise their prices to cope with the effects.

Another issue discussed was that fact that many of the Baby Boomers do not want to invest in these insurance policies because they may never use them.  So in order to make the sales, the industry created some hybrid products so that they can use the money for either long-term care if needed or they will have a life insurance benefit when they die.  This shows the effect on suppliers to listen to the demand of their customers in order to continue to be profitable.

'Sand states' see job gains amid uptick

The four states hit the hardest by the housing bust; Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada, have seen job growth pick up noticeably in recent months.  This increase fairs well for the nation's employment picture.  All four states are hot spots for tourism and retirement getaways.  As the housing crisis eases, they are benefiting, along with help from the increase of traveling among Americans, and the flow of retirees to Sun Belt states.

Before all these improvements, the states were a huge drag on the job market.  Now they're contributing to the growth.  From August through January, the rate of job gains in three of the four states equaled or exceeded the U.S. overall. 

The sand states' rebound is good news because they have the potential to power U.S. job growth.  With their higher than national average in leisure and hospitality employment, as vacationers flock to Florida beaches, Las Vegas casinos, and resorts in Arizona, the sand states are looking promising.  Also all the Americans who put off retirement are now retreating to the Sun Belt once again.

This increase in job growth shows how connected every market is.  A shift in the population causes an outward shift in employment.  All of these factors that affect supply and the demand connect to each other causing the overall increase in demand for labor reducing the unemployment and pulling the Sand States out of the terrible state they were in.