Linares Insurance Group Inc

08/21/2026

Today is National Latina Day! ✨
I am so honored to be part of the Founder’s Circle for Chicago Latina Magazine.
My dear friend Julisa Sanchez introduced me to Linda Bosque a few years ago and said, "You have to meet Linda, she's a powerhouse." The rest is history.

When I met Linda and Julisa, they were working hard to educate Latinas about grants available through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). I was sitting there listening and said, "I just received that grant for my business."
They looked at me and said, "What?! How come you haven't said anything?"
I said, well, in our culture we’re taught to keep money issues to yourself. Especially if you have it.
That day, I realized — we shouldn’t gatekeep opportunities like that. Opportunities that could help another sister.
Since then — since 2022 — to me, Latina Power means SHARING. Sharing what you’ve learned in business, in motherhood, in sisterhood, in LIFE to help another woman rise.
So Happy Latina Day! Now get out there and help someone! 💖

08/19/2026

08/19/2026

This is so sad but so true. We hate to think about life without our loved ones but talking about this can be helpful. ❤️As an insurance advisor I witness first hand how heart broken, and stressed surviving spouses are after their lives are turned upside down. I encourage you to talk and get things organized. ❤️Here to help in anyway.

There's no manual for what to do after losing a spouse.

This is the closest thing to one.

In the middle of one of the hardest weeks of your life, you're also expected to make calls that most people have never thought about until they're forced to. Save this now so you're not trying to figure it out in the moment.

Start with the funeral home. They typically report the death to Social Security for you, but confirm they actually did.

Call Social Security directly and ask about the survivor benefit, along with the one time $255 lump sum death payment.

Contact life insurers, including any old employer group policies. Claims usually start with a death certificate and a form.

Reach out to pension and 401k or IRA custodians about survivor payout elections and spousal rollover options.

Notify the employer for final pay, group life insurance, and any other benefits owed.

Call banks and brokerages to retitle joint accounts and claim any payable on death balances.

Contact the three credit bureaus for a deceased alert, which helps block identity theft targeting someone who has passed.

Reach out to Medicare and health insurers to end coverage and premiums.

Call home and auto insurers to keep coverage valid while titles are being changed.

If they served, contact the VA about burial benefits and survivor payments.

Reach out to the estate attorney or county probate office with the will in hand to understand what the estate actually requires.

And finally, contact the DMV and voter registration to close those doors and prevent fraud.

One more thing worth knowing ahead of time. Social Security is not payable for the month of death, so any payment received for that month has to be returned, and banks will often pull it back automatically. Knowing that in advance turns a frightening clawback letter into expected paperwork instead of a shock.

And get 10 to 12 copies of the death certificate before you start. Nearly every call on this list will ask for one.

07/26/2026

Grateful Sunday! ✨

Thank you, Maria Figueroa, Maggie A. Mathews & Keli Wriston for pouring into our community today.

7 years into my wellness journey, and I'm still learning — my issue was never eating bad, it was not eating enough. Today's event was just what I needed.

Good food.
Real connection.
Strong community.

At 48, I've learned we have to be willing to adjust what worked before as our bodies change. Never stop learning, never stop evolving.

Thank you, ladies! 💪❤️

07/06/2026

Flood Insurance and sewer/ water back up are not automatic on your home owners. It's best to your agent about hacing the right protection beforw you need it Each home is unique and needs to be reviewed on an individual basis. New home owner or not happy with your current carrier, then call us to review 708-834-8400

The massive system of tunnels and reservoirs was built to contain Chicago’s flood water. After more than 8 inches of rain over the past 30 days, the system is nearing capacity.

07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July to all our clients, business partners, and friends!
Hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with loved ones. 🇺🇸

05/08/2026

If something happened to you tonight, could your spouse find every document on this list within an hour? Most people can't answer yes to that question.

And that gap is where families get into serious trouble.

Not because they didn't care. Not because they were irresponsible. Because life is busy and organizing financial documents feels like something you'll get to eventually. Eventually has a way of arriving without warning.

Here's what actually needs to be in order 👆🏼

The legal documents are the ones most families have but can't locate. Consider that only 32% of Americans have a will according to Caring.com's 2024 survey. For parents with minor children that number should be close to 100%.

The will is the document that determines who raises your kids if you can't. No will means a judge decides that. Not you.

The financial documents are where real money gets lost permanently. The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators estimates there is over $58 billion in unclaimed assets sitting in state treasuries right now.

Life insurance policies, forgotten 401ks, and investment accounts that families never knew existed because nobody left a road map. Your family can't claim what they can't find.

The access and organization section is the one people skip entirely. A current list of monthly subscriptions so nothing auto-renews for months after a death.

Beneficiary designations that get reviewed because nearly 25% of people have outdated beneficiaries that no longer reflect their wishes according to a Fidelity study. A secure password system so digital accounts don't vanish forever.

And the last line on that list is the most important one.

One trusted person who knows where everything is.

Not a filing cabinet. Not a fireproof safe nobody has the combination to. A person. One human being who can walk into a crisis and know exactly what to do and where everything lives.

Do this for your family before they need you to.

04/17/2026

Who has succeeded at decluttering? Please share!

04/17/2026

Gonna try this!

It's one of the most impactful—and affordable—changes you can make.

04/17/2026

A 30-year mortgage at 0% interest exists. You just have to be born into the right family to get it.

And before anyone gets upset, this isn't a loophole. It's completely legal. It's called an intra-family loan and wealthy families have been using it for generations.

Here's how it works.

Parents loan their child the full purchase price of a home. The child makes monthly payments back to the parents over 30 years. No bank involved. No 6.5% interest rate. No PMI. No closing costs eating 2% to 5% of the purchase price.

The child gets a home. The parents get monthly cash flow. The wealth stays in the family instead of going to a bank.

There are some IRS rules worth knowing.

The IRS sets something called the Applicable Federal Rate, or AFR. For a long-term loan you technically need to charge at least the AFR, which is currently around 4% to 5%, to avoid gift tax implications. So a true 0% loan on a large amount has some tax nuance to navigate carefully.

But even at 4% from mom and dad versus 6.5% from a bank, the savings on a $400,000 home over 30 years are staggering. We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest that stays in the family.

Here's the uncomfortable truth this post is really pointing at.

The wealth gap in housing isn't just about who can afford a down payment anymore.

It's about who has parents with enough capital to become the bank entirely.

That option simply doesn't exist for most Americans regardless of how hard they work or how well they save.