The difficult discussion?
The important discussion!

According to LIMRA’s 2010 Life Insurance Ownership Study, a study that’s conducted every six years, many U.S. households are underinsured:

• Only 44 percent of U.S. households have individual life insurance.
• Half of U.S. households (58 million) say they need more life insurance.
• Among households with children under age 18, arguably those with the greatest need for life insurance, 11 million have no life insurance coverage.

Many families find life insurance a difficult subject to discuss, so they avoid it. Perhaps discussing the possibility of a spouse’s unexpected death is uncomfortable, but talking about life insurance is critical to the whole family. Here are some tips that may help you start the discussion and keep it on track:

• Talk before you’re in a financial crisis — Pick a time when you are both relaxed and keep it positive. Try to discuss it as you would any other family issue or aspect of your financial planning.
• Make a plan or revise your existing plan — Incorporate life insurance into your overall financial strategy — in fact, you may want to consider making it a primary component.  
• Set a monthly budget — Determine what you can afford and call me. I can work with you so you can determine a realistic strategy that you can stick to.

Although the subject may be difficult or awkward, talking about life insurance may be one of the most important discussions to have. And call me to learn more about the life insurance options that may help protect your family’s future.

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

Ways to help make your new home safer

Moving is both exhilarating and exhausting — but amid the hectic activity, I hope you’ll remember to locate or restock basic safety supplies. Equipping your home with easy-to-find safety products may help keep you, your family, your property and your possessions safe in case of an emergency.

• Smoke detectors — In the event of a fire, a smoke alarm may help save your life and those of your loved ones by providing an early warning signal so you and your family can escape to safety. There are two basic types of detectors: ionization and photoelectric.
  • Ionization alarms sound more quickly when a flaming, fast moving fire occurs.
  • Photoelectric alarms are quicker at sensing smoldering, smoky fires.
  • Dual sensor smoke alarms combine ionization and photoelectric into one unit.
  
  Because ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are each better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends the installation of both ionization and photoelectric or dual sensor smoke alarms.¹
• Fire extinguishers — For the home, an “ABC” dry chemical fire extinguisher is typically recommended because it can put out the three most common types of home fires: wood and paper fires (class “A”), grease and oil fires (class “B”), and electrical fires (class “C”).²
• Carbon monoxide detectors — Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels such as coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas. Consider installing CO alarms in the hallway near every separate sleeping area of the home. Make sure the alarm cannot be covered up by furniture or draperies.
• First aid kit — Be prepared in the event of an injury with a well-stocked first aid kit. You can purchase one or visit the Red Cross for a list of supplies.
• Emergency kit — In case of severe weather or a natural disaster, prepare an emergency kit with food and supplies to help keep your family comfortable for 72 hours. The Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests this list of supplies.

Always look for an independent testing laboratory’s mark of approval to be sure the product meets established safety standards. And call me so you can be sure you have the coverage you want for your new home and possessions should an unexpected loss occur.

¹Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/alarms/
²Source: http://www.fire-extinguisher101.com/

Summer fun
Summer safety

Summer is not over yet and many of us are spending as much time as we can outdoors — pool parties, cookouts, and other fun activities — before everyone heads back to school. While having all that fun outdoors, it’s important to remember to be safe. Here are some tips that may help keep your family and guests out of harm’s way:

• Pool safety — Install a safety fence around your pool. Educate your family and guests on pool rules: no running around the pool; no food or drinks while swimming; and no diving. Consider posting a “Pool rules” sign. Always keep an eye on children when they are in and around the pool.
• Grilling safety — Be sure an adult monitors the grill at all times. Keep children and pets away from the grill and tools you use to cook. Be sure to turn off or extinguish the grill and remaining embers, candles, outdoor fire pits, barbecues and the like before retiring to the indoors.
• Patio safety — Redirect sprinklers that may drench your patio — the excess water can cause slippery areas. Store yard tools, hoses and other equipment to prevent people from tripping. Install proper lighting so visitors can see where they’re walking.

In spite of your best efforts, unforeseen events may happen. What would you do if a catastrophe struck and caused damage or injuries beyond the limits of your homeowners coverage? What would you do if you found yourself on the wrong end of a multi-million dollar lawsuit? Naturally, most people don’t expect the unthinkable to happen to them — but sometimes it does.
Caveat: Don’t assume that your homeowners insurance provides adequate coverage in the event you’re sued for negligence or injury. How much of your assets could be up for grabs in the event of a lawsuit is determined to a great extent by our state law.
Life is uncertain: Plan for it
You probably work very hard to accumulate assets — take steps to safeguard them. You never know when the unexpected can ruin not just your day but also your well laid financial plans for the future. Make sure you’re prepared. Call me for more information on what you can do to help protect your assets.

Why life insurance?
It’s all about financial independence

If your death would leave your family in financial difficulty, you may want to consider life insurance. Life is full of unexpected events and although we can’t prevent or predict the unexpected, we can prepare for it. Life insurance gives you the opportunity to help maintain your family’s lifestyle, dreams and finances should the unexpected occur.
Life insurance may help your family:

• Continue to pay the home mortgage
• Maintain their current standard of living
• Pay off debts, estate taxes and final expenses
• Create a fund for college education
• Continue to pursue their dreams for the future

Take some time to think about life insurance. And call me — we can work together so you can be sure you have the coverage you want and the protection your family deserves. It’s all about financial independence for the ones that you love.

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

It’s all about the journey …

You wouldn’t drive your motorhome to the local supermarket to do your food shopping, would you? Probably not. So why would you consider insuring your coach with a policy designed for a standard automobile? Your standard auto or homeowners policy may not offer the coverage you want for your motorhome or travel trailer.
Farmers offers specialized insurance coverage that provides important standard and optional coverages typically not available in conventional auto policies. We cover most types of motorhomes including:

• Class A, B and C motorhomes
• Luxury motorhomes
• Full-timers

Covered trailers
We also offer specialized travel trailer insurance programs that provide comprehensive coverage for covered trailers including:

• Fifth-wheels
• Pop-up campers
• Stationary travel trailers
• Park model travel trailers
• Truck-mounted campers

Call me for your RV needs including motorhomes and travel trailers. Then sit back and enjoy the journey.

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