Women and life insurance

Why should a man buy life insurance? To protect his family, replace lost income if he dies, provide for his own retirement security and so on. The decision to purchase insurance typically reflects a loving commitment to family and recognition of the need to meet other financial responsibilities. Why should a woman buy life insurance? For the very same reasons.

Some facts

• Just 40 percent of women own individual life insurance. (Source: “MarketTrends — LIMRA’s Factbook: 2010 Trends in United States”)
• Women of all ages average smaller amounts of individual life coverage than men of similar ages. On average, women have $129,800 of individual life insurance, while men have $187,100 of individual life insurance coverage. (Source: “Facts About Life 2011” LIMRA, 2011)
• The time mothers spend performing the 10 primary “mom job functions” would equate to an annual cash compensation of $117,856 for a stay-at-home mom. Working moms would earn $71,860 above their regular salary. (Source: salary.com, 2010 survey)

What about you?

What does your life insurance coverage look like? Is it adequate to help your loved ones, meet your objectives and fulfill your responsibilities?

• If you’re part of a two-income family — Today in many families, husbands and wives are economic partners and those two-income families typically depend on both paychecks to make ends meet.
• If you’re a single woman heading a household — If you’re the sole breadwinner responsible for the support and care of your children, your need for life insurance may be more crucial than in a dual-parent household.
• If you’re a full-time homemaker — How would your husband and children manage without you? While much of what you do as a mom is beyond value, replacing some of the services you perform could cost tens of thousands of dollars a year.
• If you’re a single woman — You may be single but you’re probably not without responsibility. You may have a mortgage or outstanding credit card debt. Perhaps you help provide support for aging parents or grandparents. Should anything happen to you, there will be final expenses that could cost tens of thousands of dollars. Without life insurance, these obligations could fall on parents and other loved ones.

Call me — I’m here to discuss your individual situation so that you can decide if life insurance is appropriate for you. And if you feel it’s not necessary at this time we can review your other insurance policies so you can be sure you have the coverage you want.

Life insurance issued by Farmers New World Life Insurance Company, Mercer Island, WA 98040

Kitchen safety tips

We use the kitchen so often that we sometimes forget about the dangers it can present. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind:
Safety “musts”
Make sure you have the following safety “musts” in your kitchen:

• Fire extinguisher — An ABC Dry Chemical fire extinguisher is recommended for kitchens as it typically will not accelerate grease fires. In addition, it leaves a non-flammable substance on the extinguished material, reducing the likelihood of reignition.¹
• Smoke detector — There are two types of home smoke alarms available — the ion type and the photoelectric type. The ion type reacts faster to open flaming fires such as a grease cooking fire. The photoelectric type reacts faster to slow smoldering fires such as burning countertops and is less likely to react to a cooking fire. You may want to consider installing one of each type in your kitchen.²
• Oven mitts — Purchase name brand oven mitts, made by leading kitchen appliance manufacturers for highly-rated performance. Silicone oven mitts can be slippery. When using them, make sure you have a strong grip on your hot pan to prevent an accident.³

Safety tips
Remember these safety practices:⁴

• Don’t leave anything that’s cooking unattended
• Keep cooking area clean to prevent grease buildup
• Have nothing flammable near the stove
• Roll up your sleeves, tuck in your shirt, and pin back long hair
• Heat cooking oil slowly

Little chefs
Many kids love to cook with their parent(s). Help keep your young chef safe:⁴

• Enforce a “kid-free zone”
• Use the back burners, and turn pot handles toward the center of the range
• Teach children that hot things can burn
• Never pick up and hold a child while cooking

If a fire starts⁴

• Use your fire extinguisher as directed
• Never throw water on a grease fire — it can accelerate the flames
• Put a lid on it
• Keep the oven or microwave door shut
• Stop, drop, and roll

Many home fires start in the kitchen so keep these safety tips in mind as you prepare to feed your hungry family.

¹Source: http://www.fire-extinguisher101.com
²Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pyfff/smkalarm.html
³Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2189528_buy-oven-mitts.html
⁴Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/cooking.shtm

Feeling drowsy? Stop driving!

Many of us don’t get enough sleep and as a result we may become moody, irritable and easily stressed. But if you’re behind the wheel, lack of sleep can also impair your driving which may lead to potentially dangerous consequences. In addition to accidents, sleepiness can lead to higher stress levels, slower reaction times and faster, more aggressive driving. According to the National Sleep Foundation, if you experience any of these warning signs, find a safe place to pull over and get help:

• Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking and/or heavy eyelids
• Difficulty keeping your mind on the road
• Trouble keeping your head up
• Drifting from your lane, swerving, tailgating and/or hitting rumble strips
• Inability to clearly remember the last few miles driven
• Missing exits or traffic signs
• Yawning repeatedly
• Feeling restless, irritable, or aggressive

Reduce your risk

• Get enough sleep at night — Try to get adequate sleep every night — seven to nine hours if possible. This is particularly important before a road trip.
• Watch what you consume — Avoid alcohol and heavy foods such as pastas. Try to eat food high in protein. If you take medications that may make you drowsy try to take them either early enough or late enough to avoid the effects while you’re on the road.   
• Take a break, take a nap — If you begin to feel drowsy look for a safe place to take a 15- to 20-minute nap. When you wake up, refresh yourself with a snack or short walk before starting to drive again.
• Don’t drive alone — If you are going on a long road trip consider taking someone along with you. A companion who stays awake can provide interesting conversation, spot the warning signs of driver fatigue and relieve you at the wheel.

A worthwhile exercise
Try to think of a recent occasion when you experienced fatigue while driving. Now think about your mindset at the time. How did it affect your driving? Bottom line: Feeling drowsy? Stop driving!
For more information visit the National Sleep Foundation website . And call me to be sure you have the insurance you want.