The Best Gift Ever !!!

When I was a kid I used the phase "the best gift ever!" quite often.  Maybe I was easily impressed or perhaps I had a grandiose way about me.  Either way, I'm sure that the person who gave me the gift felt good about getting me something that I really loved. 

Christmas time is a great example of how giving and receiving is an important part of life ... both for the giver and for the receiver.  Nothing feels better than being able to get someone a gift that hey love, so in a way the receiver is the most important person in the exchange of a gift.  Without those that would receive ... our gifts would have no value.

Have you ever given a vagrant with a sign some small donation or helped a young mother pay for groceries while in line (when she didn't have enough to pay for them)?  Made you feel good, didn't it?  Well sometimes we who have look down on those that don't have ... not concisely, it's just sometimes we time, "why don't they just get a job?" 

We should however remember that in God's world we all have a role and no role is more important than the next.  So the beggar is just as important as those that donate.  Our role in the gifting process doesn't determine our value only our reward.

Merry Christmas ... may the gifts you receive bring you great joy and the gifts you give be joyfully received.

J

Giving your family the gift of life insurance will make the difference in paying for food, heat, and medicine if your pay check stops when you die!

Beware of falling rocks in Alabama!

On November 30th 1954 Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges, was sleeping on a couch when a meteorite crashed through the roof and into her living room, bounced off a radio, and hit her on the hip. This was the first modern instance of a meteorite striking a human.  It happened in Sylacauga (syl-a-cau-ga), Alabama. The space rock was a sulfide meteorite weighing eight and half pounds and measuring seven inches in length. Mrs. Hodges was not permanently disabled but did suffer from a bruise along her hip and leg.

Sylacauga is roughly 51 miles southeast of Birmingham, it's a small town of about 13,000 and yet it is the sight of one of the most rare injuries in the history of man. This is proof that you never know what's going to happen, so be at peace with your life, don't go to sleep angry and don't with hold forgiveness.  Life is short and if you don't slow down and smell the roses every once in a while you're going to miss it!

By the way the meteorite was eventually returned to Mrs. Hodges, even though the landlord, government and her husband all laid claim to it.  She donated it to the Alabama museum of natural history.

Life is uncertain ... so insure yours for your family's sake!  Call me for low term rates!  812-847-2243

Are you Thankful?

Of course today's post is about being thankful ... I'm thankful for many things in life but am I truly thankful for all things?  Are you?  Is anyone?  I met someone once that I think was really thankful, he made me feel good about all that I have.

Several years ago Tena and I were in Costa Rica and we were meeting with a missionary that had been there for a very long time, he was in his 90's and the mission needed a laptop which Tena and I had and which our church members paid to fix up.  The mission's accountant was grateful for the computer and brought the older missionary to meet us for lunch. 

He had some great stories but when it was time to eat we asked him to give thanks and his prayer started out like this ... "Dear Lord Thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye ... he went on to get specific and I couldn't help but smile as the pitch of his continued thank ye's went up and down through the entire prayer.  This old missionary was truly grateful for his food, his family, his day and the mission that God gave him, and he made sure the God hear him.  In the process of showing his thanks to God he showed the rest of us what gratitude truly is.

I've not found it very easy to be upset or irritated passed the 3rd "thank ye" on any occasion that I've tried that prayer.  In fact by the 4th "thank ye", I'm mostly giggling to myself thinking what I'll look like at age 90 and wondering what mission God will have given me.

So this Thanksgiving ... if only for a moment ... give thanks from the bottom of your heart.  If it helps you get in the mood, dance around while you do!  Blessing come in many different packages and sometimes we don't even recognise them as the gifts tat they are.

Happy Thanks "ye" giving!

J

Do you have the right amount of life insurance?  Check it out HERE! then contact me!

Shop Small... Shop Local

This Saturday is the Shop Small day which is a new tag line for buying local and supporting the small businesses in your area ... good advice for those of us that will be spending money on the holidays.  Buying local not only helps the business owners that have taken a chance and opened or continued in business during an economic crisis but it helps you too!
Let's compare ...oh I don't know, maybe ... a local insurance agent with an e-agent.  The product seems to be the same, I mean it covers you in case of an accident and as long as you have selected the right coverage online you are okay if you have a wreck. 

And let's suppose that you can put up with out of town claims service and email customer service ... let's say you are SURE that the coverage you have is right for you then still you need to consider a few things.

One ... the local agent will be spending the commission he earns from your policy at the restaurant that employs your cousin not the noodle joint in down town Mumbi (India) that an e-agent might be.  He'll attend the local concert, high school play, and basket ball game ... buying a ticket and advertising in the program to support the youth of your area.  Not attending the local Hindu festival and supporting a community on the other side of the planet.

Far more than the product it is the intent of the business person that should be important to you ... as the consumer your dollar is your vote.  Do you vote for India's success, Europe's children, or South America's Internet mogul?  No ... of course you don't want to vote for those far flung places and their success, you want your children and your community to succeed and to do that you need to weigh the benefit of your 10 cent savings against the the need to build your local economy.

Small and local businesses employ 1/2 of  all Americans (including you or your cousin), they are the true engines of our future success and they care about the children of the community.  So after you work the big box stores for their best Black Friday deals, stop by a local merchant and spend a few dollars with them, together we can vote for a strong local economy and community.

Peace on this Thanksgiving Day!!!

"So Long And Thanks For All The Fish"

Douglas Adams wrote the book titled, "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish".  I really loved the Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy series of which this was the fourth book.  It was a fun, crazy narrative about an ordinary guy and his extraordinary adventures.

Adams was an atheist and while I believe his view on creation was stupid, I really loved his writing ... and in particular the title of this book.  I think of it often because over the last few years I've been studying fish farming. 

The population of our planet continues to grow and our sources of high quality protein from nature and traditional farming techniques can't keep up.  While science has helped us get fatter pigs and chickens they have created a few problems along the way.  We have bigger farms that create bigger animals but that means if the animals from one farm are diseased it will affect folks around the country, where as if we all ate from local farms less people would be affected by a diseased herd.  We would use less gas to get our food from the farms, and so we would create less pollution.  Plus we would know the people that raised our food and more importantly they would know us and have to look us in the face if they sell a bad product.  That's strong motivation to do the right thing.

Besides the need for quality control, there is the issue of "franken food" ... with all the genetic engineering going into those fat pigs and chickens are we changing the food into something that is ultimately bad for us?  We don't know the long term effects of the extreme genetics that is practiced today, but I can guess and you can too.

Well, with that idea for green living I should get my seafood from close to home as well ... so I'm going to grow my own fish and shrimp.  This way I can be more responsible and grow a food source that I love close to the home that I love.

Perhaps when I die they will put this on my tomb stone "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish" ...

This is a hilarious story !!!

This is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year old woman.   I think it speaks to the arrogance of many giant corporations that believe we are too weak to resist their insane requirements ... Enjoy!!!
Dear Sir:
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month.
By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it..
I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an OFFENSE under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.
Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.
In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service.
As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Let me level the playing field even further.
When you call me, press buttons as follows:
IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me
#2. To query a missing payment.
#3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
#4 To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
#6.. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.
#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.
#10. This is a second reminder to press* for English.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call. Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement. May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?

Your Humble Client


And remember: Don't make old People mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.

Why can't we all just get along?

Getting along doesn't come easy for human beings.  We like to be right, and more importantly we like to be the one that points out someone else being wrong.  Then we like to discuss "How wrong" they are and ask "Why do they continue being wrong?" ... Do you know anyone that will condemn something until others join them in the condemnation, then they switch to deffending the thing they were just condemning? 

Many years ago as a young man living in Germany, my wife Tena and I were playing a game called Balderdash.  It has cards with words that sound odd and you are supposed to either know the correct definition or come up with one that sounds like the real one, so everyone else will think it is real and vote for your definition.

While playing that game I learned the word "Schadenfreude"  \ˈshä-dən-ˌfrȯi-də\ which means ... taking pleasure in other's misfortune.  It's a good word because it describes a basic human trait.  It's a trait that is uglier than we normally would want to portray but one that is naturally there.  

We often find that we look for an angle to dispute what someone is saying or we like seeing them in situations that are uncomfortable.  While I know this to be true, I don't know why we are wired this way and I find it hard to resist even though it is a despicable trait.  I mean come on ... we love watching the sitcom where everyone gets into crazy situations.  We love to listen to a politition give a speech and then poke holes in what he or she says.

So this week I'm going to try really hard to be the model of kindness, I'm going to avoid disputes and the guilty pleasure of Schadenfreude.  I might fail but I'll start the week trying to get along! 

How to fix your Church?

Our church just voted to spend a lot of money on remodeling the kitchen and updating our electrical service along with some other renovations that need to be done.  If you've ever been involved in a church project like this you know that from concept to completion you have a lot of different ideas and concerns to consider.   You see a church board listens to an idea and discusses it for a long time and the community may change it's mind about the project over a two year period.  Very often what some see as necessary others see as an extravagance and many folks will change their minds back an forth more than once based on new evidence or a different point of view.

However, more often than not the final decision will come down to one question ... can we afford it?  Even if the money is in the bank (and it usually isn't) people will ask that question.  All kinds of non profit look for ways to make sure they have enough money.  In a church we collect a weekly offering that helps pay the bills and we ask for special offering to fund projects like the one we are doing now.  But imagine if the church decided to build a new kitchen and they had the money in the bank, how cool would that be?  Remove the question of how do we pay for it and you can focus on much bigger questions like ... "how can we use this new kitchen to glorify God and do his work her on earth?"  But how does a small town church acquire enough cash to do this kinds of projects?  Well there are many ways but the most common is Memorial gifting.

Giving a final gift at your passing or a give in memory of someone you love who has passed on is the best way for a church to fund construction, or mission work, or community services.  This can be land, autos, cash or life insurance proceeds.  As an insurance agent (and a guy without land) I like the idea of a life policy for the church.  If you are 40 years old and buy a 20 year return of premium life insurance policy to secure your gift to the church (with a death benefit of $100,000) then if you die before age 60 the church will get $100,000 (a poor substitute for all the tithes they will lose by your passing) but if you live to age 60 you set it up so the church will get $14,000 at that time or $37,000 when you do pass away.

A 35 year old man could pay $10 a week and not have to pay any more after 20 years.  This would give the church a $35,000 payment if you die plus the death benefit will increase year after year and at age 60 it would be $52,000.  There are a hundred examples of how to leave money but the bottom line is, no other method of giving back will pay the church a set figure no matter if you only made one month's payment to it!  You should speak to your insurance agent about this option ... I know I am going to!

J

Let's fix Washington!

Are you listening to the junk that Washington is spewing these days?  I know that politicians are always making a big deal out of little things and down playing big things so they are always casting themselves in the best light, but come on!

Let's take jobs for instance ... the White House says that Congress is being lazy and if they don't pass the JOBS BILL, all is lost and it's Congress's fault.  Congress says that the White house is going to tax those that can afford to create jobs and make it less attractive for growth.  The White House says that we have to tax the rich to correct the budget and give relief to the working class, the Congress says we need to stop spending on social programs and let the wealthy create more wealth and create jobs.  Who do you believe?

Being the social genius that I am ... I have come up with a plan that will fix everything.  First off, we should level the field ... I pay taxes and I pay for my own health insurance.  So I would say that everyone else should have to do that too.  Including congress and the president ... We as a nation spend billions on the health care of our employees and well ... nobody else is getting that so they shouldn't either.  The one exception should be our military and police forces ... we need them in top physical shape and we don't pay them enough.

On taxes I see a flat tax on income as a fair compromise.  Eliminate the tax brackets, loop holes and all the infrastructure that manages that ... everyone pays a flat percentage of their income no matter how much they make or where the income is being generated from.  Then the only IRS function would be to make sure that all income was reported and the bill paid ... no more tax returns, no more audits, no more huge cost from 106,000 employees.  The projected budget for the IRS in 2011 is just over 12 and a half billion dollars. 

Once the President and Congressmen are forced to pay taxes and 100% of their health insurance premiums they'll figure out the least painful path for us all.

There you have it ... all fixed, I lessened the expenses, increased the income and leveled the playing field for everyone in one fell swoop! 

Next victim!

Living in the Moment ... looking back at 9/11

Life moves fast and you have to stop and smell the roses every once in a while or it could just pass you by!  Sounds like a movie quote - right?  But 9/11 if it taught us anything, it showed that life is unpredictable.  But you know the idea of living in the moment doesn't mean we stop planning and live hand to mouth ... sometimes we get that juvenile concept.  You know what I'm talking about, some folks think that to live in the moment they need to quite their job and spend every second of the day contemplating the beauty of the world and our meaning while on the planet.

But we don't have to drop out to live in the moment, we just need to focus our efforts on what is important.  Work is a big part of our lives, not just to make money but to achieve (anything).  We measure our life time by work and even schedule our vacations around it because it is central top who we are and what we will be remembered by.

However, while no life is complete without work (whether at home or away from home) it would not be complete without leisure time or personal relationships.  In other words take time for work, time for play, and time for your loved ones ... if you do that then you are truly living in the moment.

9/11 really made us look hard at having balance in our lives, it reminded us all that work, while important, isn't everything and while we need to plan for the future we need to make sure we are living in between the planning.

I hope you are living a balanced life and that you have many great personal relationships at work and play.  Plan smart, work hard, pray, and be in the moment!

How high should your liability limits be???

People always ask "how much liability do I really need?” Well, just read the news and then you tell me what you think. What happens if you are driving along and the kids in your back seat get a little out of control, you look back for just a second to yell "stop that!" (so they aren't distracting you) ... but when you look back at the road you realize you are running a red light and hitting a car. Did the passenger in the other car get hurt? Did they get air lifted to an ER in a distant town? Did they die? Lawsuits today are seeking higher and higher amounts ... Here's a case filed late last month where a semi ran a light and killed a girl, and the parents are seeking 5 million!

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/6733258-417/parents-sue-trucker-over-daughters-death.html

In the next one a hunter (drinking beer and hunting on the property without permission) is suing the homeowner because he fell out of the tree.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/269283/hunter-falls-from-tree-sues-property-owner?SESS0cea5da24a95806adb56788ec0433e9c=ysearch

So, in answering the question, you need enough liability insurance to protect your assets in the event you found to be responsible for injuring someone or destroying their property. Your assets are you home, land, autos, boats and other property and you cash, retirement, and income for the next two years. Add it all up and ask yourself this question. "if I hit someone in my car and hurt or killed them, what would the family likely try to get from me?" The answer is that number you just came up with ... in other words 'the most money possible given your personal financial picture.'

Don't think that state minimum coverage for auto liability is enough because it won't help you keep your house if you get in a bind. Keep your homeowners at least as high as your per accident BI limits and always do what is reasonable to protect the general public from injury associated with you and your property. You can't stop someone from suing you, not to mention you can't stop a jury from awarding a settlement from your pocket to theirs.

Some things should not be skimped on.

J

How to Give Enough!

Our church is in the process of a remodel project and in the course of that project we are forced to think about future projects that will involve construction or at the very least sizable sums of money.  We are fortunate enough to have a nest egg that was left by a generous donor to build or remodel as we need to, but that gift which was given some time ago is pretty rare. 

To be frank, how many of us have enough money now that we are whiling to give a large chunk to the church before we die which out worrying about possibly needing that cash to live on before we die?  Most of us who are church goers would like to leave behind a legacy but we can't afford to lose control of the money that we may need if our retirement investments take a turn for the worse once we are relying on them for our income.  Sometimes it seems that the days of the big donors are gone, but some young people are planning ahead now and securing their legacy before it starts costing too much.

A 65 year old man can plan to leave $25,000 to the church by putting it in his will and having the money in a money market account just in case he needs it.  But who knows if that will even be left for the church by the time he dies, taxes and probate expenses can eat up the proceeds and lessen or eliminate the money this gentleman wants to leave behind.  The same 65 year old can put that $25,000 in a single premium life policy and the church will get nearly $45,000 before the rest of the estate is settled.  If the man out lives his saving he can always withdraw the cash and use it to live on, but for now he has protected his legacy.

A young woman age 25, wanting to inspire young people after she is gone can leave a $100,000 gift to the church and pay only $13 a week for a life insurance policy (plus she can stop paying all together at age 40).  Her gift can be used anyway she wants, to build a school room, pay for mission work, or create a youth program.

Young or old ... a lump sum of cash or a few dollars a week ... using life insurance to leave a legacy to your church is just a smart way to do it.  You can help your future church leadership expand, maintain or recreate and help show them the true meaning of Christian love.

Call a life insurance agent that you trust and talk about how you can create a legacy for the church and still have a safety net for your finances.

J

Let Freedom Ring!!!

As we head into the first week of July and celebrate Independence Day I find myself in reflection on the past week.

Last week was VBS (Vacation Bible School) and it is always a long week for all involved.  We plan it for months and put all that we have into a great educational and spiritual week.  But this also afforded me an opportunity to work with our local food pantry.  They loaned us a ton of corn (literally 2000 pounds of canned corn) to draw attention to the needs of the hungry in Greene County.  We built a castle out of the corn in our church that stayed up all week to remind the kids of what God's love could accomplish.

While thinking about the week, I realized that we have a great opportunity to impact the lives of those around us, far more that just a single meal.  The benefit one receives from our local food pantry can be quite literally LIFE CHANGING.

You all know that I am an insurance agent, and I like to say that I sell piece of mind.  My clients sleep better at night knowing that their homes, autos, and families are protected.  The food pantry gives people a sense of hope ... through the food and encouragement that they pass out each week they give people HOPE, and hope is far more valuable than piece of mind, or money in the bank, hope shows us that we are not alone, we do count, our suffering has purpose and there is something better just around the corner.

John, one of the Directors at the food pantry gave the kids a quick lesson each night, it was based around the scripture; John, chapter 21, verses 15 - 19.  In this passage Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loves him ... each time Peter says, yes he loves the Lord, and each time Jesus tells Peter to "Feed my sheep!" ... our visitor John simplified it by calling out to the kids "Love God" and they would respond with a thunderous "FEED HIS SHEEP!" ... Service to mankind is mandated by our God!  Our service brings hope to those we serve!  Hope brings freedom to everyone!

Remember, if you need piece of mind call me ... if you need food call John ... if you need Hope ... pray.

J

Living Large!

Time marches on ... and on ... and on ... each day has a drudgery of it's own and when we string them together in long spans it makes the drudgery seem that much more unbearable.  Work, home repairs, laundry, charity efforts, bills, chores, responsibilities and even TV and cell phones ... all these things rob us of our natural joy in life.

We got away as a family last weekend to a place without TV or cell phone service or any of the things that bring us down each day.  Instead of treading water with finances, scheduling and responsibilities, we talked, played games and enjoyed being with each other.

The noise of modern life seems to clutter our every moment and that will keep us from enjoying our lives and even from just being creative in our everyday efforts ... so it's important to get away from it all and be quiet for a time to recharge those batteries and jump start your creative self again.

My weekend get away wasn't the only thing that inspired this rant ... last night Tena and I watched the Bucket List, great show!  I highly recommend it!  If you've not seen it I'll tell this much the two main characters are from opposite ends of the economic scale (one is a life long mechanic and the other a rich hospital mogul) but they have both been given 6 months to a year to live.  They decide to finish their Bucket lists (things they wanted to do before they die) ... It's never too late to make a difference, enjoy living, or make a fool of yourself ... and all three are important.

So take some time away from the TV this weekend and on a yellow pad of paper write down a bucket list, then Before midnight on Sunday, mark off one item ... or at least spend some quiet time imagining all the things that you will do. 

Live Large ... J

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."

— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

Real Stuff ... our view of Joplin!

The Joplin relief effort here in the South West part of Indiana has really caught us off guard, but not in the way that you might think.  You see Greene county is the 4th poorest county in Indiana, we rank in the bottom 10% of counties nationwide for higher education and in the bottom half of all counties in the US for adults with a HS diploma.  Our unemployment rate is 8.3% and the average household income is only about $41,000 a year.

I'm not trying to deflate my fellow Greene county residents, in fact it's quite the opposite.  You see it is the perfect example of what my friend Jerry told me the other day (Jerry is over 70 and always has words of wisdom).  He said "Jason if it ever comes that I need a hand out, you know real help, I'll head over to the poor side of town."  Greene county (and our neighbors) decided that we may not have a lot but we have enough ... in one week the efforts of Leroy Barnhill and his army of volunteers, along with the residents of our community, shipped 115,000 pound of aid to Joplin in 4 separate semi trailers.

By the time we are all home from work on Tuesday that will be 5 or 6 semis and 135,000 pounds of supplies.  And this is shipped direct, no middle man, no government, no red tape ... just good people doing what Jesus would do!  I've heard about very young children giving their very best toys, young men giving the jacket off their backs, and a mysteriously appropriate gift of thousands of sets of rain gear.

How great are the people in my community ... pretty damn great.

http://www.bloomfieldfcc.org/page_32.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greene-Daviess-County-Joplin-Relief/209609692411938

Helping Joplin Now!

Sometimes it is amazing what can be done with just a mission and some focus!  My friend LeRoy is very focused and he's on a mission.  When he heard that the main terminal for the trucking company that he works for was under assault from nature along with the rest of Joplin MO, he leaped in to action. 

LeRoy is a trucker and so he started filling a semi-trailer with stuff ... makes sense, truckers driver trucks and trucks haul stuff.  But in the course of a day Leroy ran out of his own stuff to put in the truck so he said a prayer and called some friends.  Those friends brought some stuff and they all said a prayer and called their friends.

It wasn't long until they had the 1st truck filled with pallets of water, clothing, food and supplies.  Right now LeRoy is filling the 3rd, 4th, and 5th trucks ... his friends and the friends of those friends have continued to pray and bring stuff.  People (strangers) are calling LeRoy from as far away as Oklahoma and donations are coming in from the east coast and all around.  The TV news and the local papers heard about LeRoy's friends and their stuff and they started talking about it.

So now LeRoy and his band of friends (long time and newly introduced) are looking to collect 150,000 pounds of good to send to a couple of churches in the Joplin that are distributing the goods.  This has turned into a massive relief effort that is unique as it is going direct from the donors to those in need. 

If you want to help or just show your support to this little group, click on the link below and log on to facebook ... LIKE the page and keep tract of the needs for this effort.


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Greene-Daviess-County-Joplin-Relief/209609692411938

What would happen ... ?

This week reminded me that my job is to ask the questions that no one wants to ask.  I'm here to say "what if?" and not in a good way most of the time.  What happens to a child if a single parent losses their life?  Would the estranged ex spouse take on raising the kids?  Would the Grand parents put off retirement to take in their grandchildren?  Would they have enough money to take care of them?

Not real fun stuff to talk about, in fact it is much like growing old (if you read my last post you know I think that getting old sucks).  But if you never talk about the possibility of your children losing their only source of income, they'll be in trouble if that day comes. 

I suggest that you call an insurance agent that you trust and talk to them, like I said our job is to ask the questions that you don't what to or even know to ask.  Many times just talking about the need is exhausting but getting protection in place for your children (or spouse) will give you piece of mind. 

Nope it's not fun but just like getting a cavity filled, it may not be fun right now but you'll feel better when you get it done.  There are lots of options but remember the best option gives you all the coverage you need!  If you can't afford what you need, something is WAY better than nothing!

Getting Old Sucks!

I know this is obvious to anyone that has moved beyond their youthful days, but it really needs to be said.  I came to this conclusion not long ago after my last eye exam.  I let Doc know that I have been seeing fuzzy for a while, he tested my eyes and said that my vision is technically 20/20 with my glasses but I had a second set of letters showing up when I look at signs.  After much testing and measuring and poking and prodding, he tells me that I have wrinkly eyes.  Now let me pause here and tell you my eye doc is Brian Steward in Lyons and Bloomfield.  As docs go he is aces, no fluff or bull just good service and advice on the health of your eyes, I trust him completely with my eye health. 

That being said ... wrinkly eyes?  I mean come on!  I'm not that old am I?  The condition is called an Anterior Basement Membrane Dystrophy ... but it's really just a wrinkly eye.  It's not too serious and the most common treatments are hard contacts or surgery, where they scrape your wrinkles off the eye (sounds fun huh?).

Needless to say I tried the hard contacts ... I won't bore you with the details but 4 office visits (1 to 2 hours each) 3 weeks of bloodshot eyes and at least one contact stuck for an hour and a half on my eye later, and Brian and I had the talk.  Maybe contacts weren't my thing.  But he suggested that I wait on the surgery until it gets worse.

I guess it's not bad but imagine seeing someone that looks familiar but you can't see the details of their face until they are 3 feet from you.  Not what someone in the business of dealing with people really wants to admit.  I wave at everyone and I can carry on a conversation for several minutes without knowing who I'm talking to for sure, sometimes I totally miss people because I can't see their features.

Driving is okay but I can't read signs no matter how big they are until I'm right on them ... GPS is the best invention ever!

I guess I take Brian's advice and wait til it gets worse before getting scrapped, so if I don't recognise you at times perhaps you'll understand, and if I get lost easily perhaps my wife will understand! 

Happy Aging!

Leave a legacy!

With the passing of a great Hoosier philanthropist (Mr. Cook) this past week, it got me thinking about leaving a legacy.  What will the future generations remember about you?  Will they remember that you supported the baseball teams for 20 years or that you helped add on to the church building?  You don't have to be a billionaire to make an impact and leave a legacy that your grandchildren will be proud of, you just have to plan a little bit.

Let's say you love basketball and you want to build a basketball court in your hometown park ... you don't have enough money to build the park and it will take you 20 years to save it up. 

What happens if you die before the end of that 20 year period?  Will someone else continue to pay into your dream account that will someday get the park a new court?  Probably not ... and the money you were saving toward it will be lost in the estate once you are gone.

A better idea is to take out a life insurance policy on yourself that names the park (or a fund set up for the construction of basketball courts) as beneficiary.  When you die, no matter if it's next week or in 30 years, the charity, club or institution that you support will receive a gift in your name that will be a legacy your grand kids and the community will brag about for decades.

How to Save Money on your Auto Insurance!

This is a topic that we hear discussed on TV ads all the time.  Isn't it weird how every company claims that customers who switched saved hundreds? 

How could every company be the cheapest?  Can you still have the coverage you need and get it cheaper?  Well the answer isn't too far off what your mom and dad told you when you were younger ... You never get something for nothing! 

First off, the TV ads you see are based on the people that switched and reported their savings ... so if 5 people saved and average of $500 when they switched and they told the company about it, then the company could use in their advertising that people who switched saved an average of $500.  That doesn't mean that everyone will save that much or even if the ones that did kept their same coverage.

If you want to save money on your auto rates you can simply cut your coverages to the state minimums and remove the physical damage coverage from your auto.  That will save you monthly ... of course if you hit someone and put them in the hospital, your insurance will run out quick and you'll be paying out of pocket for their broken bones, head wounds and nursing care, not to mention you'll need a new car so you can get to work and pay those new bills.

Insurance is about managing risk, and you have to decide if your risk of financial ruin is more important than a few dollars a month.  If you think your current insurance is too high, ask your agent if he would suggest cutting anything ... I tell my clients this one hint, if you have a car that is 10 years old or older, look up the blue book value to see if full coverage is worth it.  Many times the value of these older cars is so low that full coverage won't get you a whole lot if you totaled the car, so you can switch to liability only and save quite a bit. 

Personally I would never recommend that you lower your liability limits, because one mistake on your part would put you at risk financially with consequences that would last for many years.

J

After the Storm!

After a thunderstorm blows through, I always feel lucky.  First off, if I'm there to see the end of the storm then I survived it ... plus there is a feeling of calm once nature is done beating you down.  Of course there are times that I will have damage to deal with and sometimes my community will be suffering in the wake of what ever has blown through Southern Indiana this time.

In recent years because I'm in the insurance field, I find myself looking at the damage done by a storm and accessing the possible cost and such.  Even if I don't know the people who's home, or yard I viewing ... I will still try to imagine the cost and coverage that they would need (or perhaps not need) and what the out come would be for them in different scenarios.

It's a fun exercise for me, but the same thoughts are unnerving for the person with a storm loss.  Are you covered?  How much will this cost you?  How long will you need to wait for the repair?  As an agent I would recommend that you review your coverage each year and ask those questions.  Most of you won't remember the answers at first but it's important that you get your agent thinking about it because it's their advice that you rely on to protect your family from loss.

No one really wants to take time out of life to spend it talking about storms, wrecks, and death, but just an hour a year to review your coverage and ask (or answer) tough questions about the risks you and your family face can make all the difference when something happens to your home, or auto or even the loss of a life.

J

I WON THE LOTTERY!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!  I don't even buy a ticket most weeks ... and I never check the numbers until days later! This is sooooo cooool !!!! I can't wait to claim it and buy something stupid!  Don't call me at work this week because I'm sooo over working and I'm totally out of ....

     GOT YOU!          Happy April Fools Day! 

Most folks don't know that the new years celebration in the late 1500's in France was a week long starting the last week of march and ending April 1st ... when this was changed by Gregorian monks around 1582 the bulk of the population forgot to check their facebook accounts for several years and didn't get the word that New Years was now only one day and on January the 1st!  So those in the know would play jokes on the "fools" that didn't know!

This good to know info may or may not be true and was brought to you buy your favorite insurance agent in Greene County Indiana - no it's me Jason!

Vacation Rocks!

You know a good vacation is worth its weight in gold!  I just got back from a GREAT vacation filled with giant roadside attractions and Florida sun. 

In the insurance business you are often surrounded by people who have just lost something ... a car, a garage, a home, or even a husband or wife.  Sometimes it gets pretty difficult to see people hurting even though we get to help them through the tough times it will really wear on you.

So stepping out for a week in the sun is a welcome diversion.  We ran throught southern Illinois and picked up my niece and then on to the Superman Museum then through Tennessee to the giant chicken with a chef hat, and finally the giant peach in Alabama.  Then we spent a little time on the beach haviung crab races and eating shrimp.

I returned home to a pile of new claims and lots of folks that needed policies to protect their families from lost ... and you know I was glad to get back into it, because no matter how great vacation is, it's not your life.  I just wish it would stop snowing for goodness sake.

Super Moon Wrecking Havic Tonight!

Okay, so I've been known to come up with some far fetched stories but this really caught my eye.  I mean talk about tales of doom and destruction, this has it all!

Tonight the moon will be closer to the Earth than it has been in 18 years ... astrology nuts are claiming this could cause massive volcanic and earthquake activity all over the globe not to mention the increase in werewolf activity.  Most experts agree that there is a very slight increase in volcanic and earthquake activity when the moon is closer to the earth but no of them can remember any apocalyptic events 18 years ago when this happened last time.

The good news for my clients that have their homeowners insurance with me is that volcano damage is covered and you can add earthquake on for a fee.  However, werewolf damage is not covered by any homeowners policy!

Perhaps we should consider investing in silver bullets for tonight ... good luck with it all!

J

What Happens if My Home gets Flooded?

Flood insurance is one of the most misunderstood types of insurance sold today.  It is a complicated program created by the federal government and sponsored by local government but administered by private companies and sold by independent agents.

Basically the federal government says that they will help fund the loses and if the local government will pay part of the costs they will pay even more.  If the county government fully participates in the National Flood Insurance Program then the residents of that county can buy flood insurance to cover the full amount of a loss. 

If the county government only participates in the emergency plan then residents can buy a minimal policy to cover flood ... if your community fully participates then you can get complete coverage for your home.  If you are worried about flood then call your local agent to see what is available and how much the premium is.

Check out FEMA's website for more info ...

http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/about/nfip_overview.jsp

J

Buy Local ...

Buying local is more than just a saying ... it is a frame of mind and an important frame of mind if you ask me.  Every dollar you spend is helping some one's community, either yours or someone else's.

Sometimes you need to go outside your community to get the quality, brand or type of service or product you need.  I will often buy herbal supplements that are made from herbs that only grow in tropical Asia.  We sometimes use vanilla that comes from the South Pacific.  But given the choice I'd rather buy my goods and services from a person or company that lives in the community where I live, pays taxes in the community that I pay in to, and who's fortune and welfare is tied to the local community.  That person will help improve my community and is vested in the success of everyone in the area.

On the occasion that you have to spend money with companies that don't have an interest in your community, you are losing the benefit of that money to what ever community the company resides. 

It's greener, safer, economically sound, and more trustworthy than buying services and goods from far away places.

J

Special kids ... Special Needs!

I took a little time to visit the Easter Seals in Indianapolis last week and had a great time and really enjoyed seeing the great work they are doing.  The Indianapolis center is geared toward helping autistic adults and children learn the skills they need for a lifetime.  Everything from job training to loaner technology that can help them communicate (the get to try before they buy to see how well it works for them).

The social worker that gave us the tour was understandably proud of the center and the work that they do, and I was amazed and all that was available.  I went with a special needs consultant that I am working with to get plugged in to the current system.  We are looking to help those families that need a hand in planning for their special needs child ... someday that child will need financial support and their parents won't always be their to supply that need. 

Buttermilk Mountain is a special needs consultant that has years for experience.  They are helping me better understand the specific needs of families that have a special needs child, who will never be able to provide for themselves.  As an insurance agent my role is helping to fund the special needs trust that will provide for those kids for the rest of their lives.   Life insurance is the best way to fund these trusts.   I'm really excited to start helping those families create a lasting legacy for the children that bring hem so much joy.

I will write more about this subject in the near future, as it is near and dear to my heart!

J

Did you lose some money?

Things don't always go as we plan , and sometimes that can get in the way of receiving all the money that is due to us.  I know this from experience, but then again who hasn't left town and forgot the $10 in a savings account.  Or perhaps over payments on property taxes and utilities that are forgotten as you move to a new location, job and life. 

It's hard to find those lost bits and pieces even knowing where you've been, but imagine if you didn't know that money was left there.  Imagine if it was left by a relative that you knew or maybe just knew but rarely spoke to.  

Imagine that an Uncle left a life insurance policy and you were his closest heir, but he lived in Seattle and you only talked to him once a year.  The life insurance company may find out that he passed away within a few months but they won't necessarily know who you are and where you live.  In fact many states make a healthy revenue from the languishing life insurance proceeds that can not be paid to the heirs.

One expert from IU stated that an estimated $351 million was transferred to the state governments in 2009 and he feels that is a conservative number.  So how do you keep from leaving your legacy to the state government? 

First off, find a life insurance agent that you trust and review your life insurance with them every year.  Make sure that your agent knows what group term you have through work and if you have any policies through other companies that you don't have an agent with.   Your agent will make a record of these policies and be a resource for your loved ones when you pass.  A good agent will be in your community and will know if something happens to you.  They will be able to speak to your spouse or children and guide them through the process as well as helping them get all the benefits you have in place for them.

If you think a loved one may have left money or life insurance behind you can search for it here http://www.unclaimed.org/ at the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

Read more in the New York Times article linked here http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/your-money/life-and-disability-insurance/26wealth.html

Stupidity in the State House?

My 2nd daughter told me about the most  egregious affront suffered by disabled vets in recent memory.  I'm ashamed that it told my daughter and the Ball State campus newspaper to inform me on the insanity happening at the Indiana State House this month.

But, here is the long and short of it, SB 577 is a bill that passed the state senate this month and will be voted on in the house soon.  It is called a financial aid bill and in the first section it establishes tuition assistance for incarcerated felony offenders.  Later in the bill (buried in endless droning about all things financial aid) it cuts the tuition assistance Earned by DISABLED Vets.

It's that simple folks they are taking the benefits from disabled vets and giving them to convicted felons.  I know it sounds stupid and it is, even my youngest daughter said "they would never do that ... it's too stupid to pass."  Unfortunately it quietly passed in the senate and is heading for the house vote.

I know there is a lot in the news as far as government goes today but don't let this slip through, call your legislator today and tell them to vote NO to SB 577.  If you don't know who to call, check out this site to find out  http://district.iga.in.gov/DistrictLookup .

Here is a facebook group to join and be hear on http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_180427128666411 

J

Romance is in the air!

Well it's Valentine's Day and I'm sure all you guys got your gals something romantic.  I know I did!  But let's look at what the experts say about the most romantic gift you can give.  Now before I tell you this I just want to make sure you know that the statistics I'm about to show you are true and real ... even though it's hard for me to say them with a straight face.

However, anyone that knows me, knows I'm a shameless self promoter and I've made no secret of the fact that I'm in insurance and that this blog is mainly for the purpose of promoting my business.  I mean, the name of this blog is "Beginner's Guide to Insurance". So I'm going to just come out and say it.

88% of women surveyed think that buying life insurance is a good way to show that you love them!  I'm just saying!

For just a few bucks a month you can give them piece of mind and more importantly the bill each month will remind them that you love them.

Call me if you want to show the woman in your life that you really love them!  :-)

Who will win the Super Bowl?

As one of the biggest sporting events in the world the Super Bowl gets a lot of attention every year.  Both teams get bragging rights for having just made it to the game and the winning team gets one of the most elite pieces of jewelry on the planet.

But who is the real winner on game day?  yep you guessed it ... the advertisers.  In fact I watched a TV show yesterday evening dedicated to the top 10 best Super Bowl commercials of all time, and yes it is an annual show.  Part of the draw is that it is such a shared event that people want to talk about every aspect of it, which includes rehashing the best and worst commercials.

This year ... my company, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance (the official corporate sponsor of the Indianapolis Colts) will air it's new commercials for all the world to see (well at least in Indiana) and I don't think you'll be disappointed.  It's not like we're going to tackle Betty White or have a bunch of models mud wrestling but we think they are pretty cool.  Just ask yourself, do I know for sure my insurance covers what I need?  No matter who you're with, know what you have!  You shouldn't have to knock on wood every time you think about your coverage.

So enjoy the game (and our cool new commercials) and after it's over check out our new micro site

J

Local Guy Writes Book! (blog post)

The older I get the more I appreciate our local talent and culture.  I like that facebook allows me to stay connected and this week it supplied me with a real gem that satisfies both the need to stay connected and the love of local 'stuff '.  I received a notice that a friend of mine from high school had wrote a book. 

Sometimes a person shouldn't write a book, they should stick to other pursuits more tailored to their skills, but in this case I've read the snippets available on line and the story description and .... well, I'm excited to check it out.  Jon Cook has written a book that details the experiences of a Civil War POW ... I know, you're going "what does Jon know about a Civil war POW?"  Great question!  It appears that his great great grandfather was a POW during the Civil War and grew up in Greene County Indiana.  Coauthored by Russell Cook this looks like a winner.

Check them out on facebook (link below)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Among-the-Sterling-Youth/101050943302829

What's Important to Hoosier Families? (blog post)

Google trends is a pretty cool feature on Google.  If you've never used it, you should check it out.  You go to Google Trends online and type in a search term and region (like Indiana) and Zoweee! It tells you the volume of Hoosier searches on that topic.  Cool stuff, indeed. 

Well, today I google trended "Life Insurance" as well as home, auto, and health insurance ... do you know that home, auto, and health did not have enough searches in the last 30 days to show up on this trend counter but life insurance was on evereyone's minds.

I also noticed that there was very little searching for life insurance on Sunday, it was mainly done during the work week.  Perhaps it is our daily interactions at work that make us feel our mortality or maybe we just have more free time at work than at home.  Anyway I thought that was interesting.

I also think it is interesting that the most important and complicated insurance there is is the only one that had enough people searching online for it to even register on Google Trends.  Shouldn't we talk to a real live person about the important stuff?  Can we trust Wikipedia for the really important stuff?  I don't, I try to find people that are experts and discuss my options with them.  Online experts don't have to look you in the eye (neither do the TV experts) so they don't suffer if their advice is not right for you.

Life insurance is an important topic in Indiana (more so than any other insurance type) so call an Agent to get your questions answered, because they will see you at Walmart and CVS each week and that makes them (including me) much more motivated to tell you the best information you can get.

What to do after a wreck?

"The weather outside is frightful ...", just a little snow and everyone is sliding all over the place.  I remember when we were stationed in Texas and it snowed about 1/2 an inch.  Everything shut down and we went driving around looking at all the wrecks.  That was big fun until I got in the insurance business. 

One question I get a lot is, "what do I do if I have an accident?"  That's an easy one, but it's easy to forget right after a wreck.  Everyone gets shook up whether it's their fault or not.  So let's review the basics.

1.  Stay calm.  It's never helpful to lose control.
2.  Check to see if anyone needs medical attention, life and welfare are far more important than anything else.
3.  If no one has any evident injuries the next step is to make sure you and your family are not in danger because of where you are, for example if you had a fender bender on 465 in the left lane you would want to make sure your vehicle is as far off the road as possible and that your family isn't walking out into traffic.
4.  Exchange information with the other driver, name, address, and insurance info at the very least. 
5.  Contact the police, an official record of the incident can be necessary down the road.
6.  Don't try to figure out who is to blame, that's for the police and the insurance companies to figure out. 
7.  Call your agent, unless your insurance company makes you call an 800 number.  Let the agent or his office staff know the details of when, where, who, and how. 

Once you've made the claim and started the process you can relax.  Don't spend time and energy worrying about what the accident will do to your premiums or how you are going to come up with the deductible, because you've just handled the worst of it.  If your premiums go up for a while to pay for the vehicle or someone Else's injuries, then you've still come out ahead because you don't have a huge payment at the time of the accident.  If you need to barrow $500 from you brother or your father to cover the deductible, then so be it, it's still better than paying the whole amount.

One caution though, you need to check and see that your liability limits are enough to protect you assets if the accident is your fault and the other party has big medical bills from the wreck, state minimums are not enough.  Just think how much it cost the last time you went to the doctor and imagine what trauma care for a head wound would cost.  Ask you agent if you limits are enough to save you from getting sued for all you savings and retirement.

I hope you don't have an auto claim in this icy weather but if you do, it's an opportunity to see how well you've done picking the company that will help you keep going after the wreck.  After all that's why you have insurance.

Who pays the price?

Who pays for the mistakes of others? Very often it's the ones who can afford it the least!  A week or so ago I read a story about a young man age 28 who was driving a mini Van to pick up his two young daughters.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ford-windstar-van-defect-allegedly-fatal-crash/story?id=12453337

Because of a design flaw the rear axle broke causing the young man to wreck and die before his daughters got to see him one last time. 

Reading the story you feel a lot of different emotions; anger toward the auto maker and the government, sadness for the girls and their mother, worry for your own family.  Think about it, what would happen to your family if that was you or your spouse in that van?

In the distant future a lawyer will declare victory in some class action suit where the multimillion dollar reward will be cut in half to pay the lawyer, then the rest will be divided up between the 800 or so people that reported accidents caused by the defect.  No, the widow won't be able to depend on that money. 

We can only hope the auto maker pays in some way for this loss but the truth is that the father's life insurance will have to replace his income for the family.  Hopefully he didn't rely solely on the group term life insurance that he has through work.  Hopefully, he and his now widow took a couple of hours to review this possibility with their insurance guy, and they came up with a plan to cover the lost income in the event he died before his time.

Life is short and none of us ever know what is going to happen tomorrow, so always make the last word your loved ones heard as they exit the door, a kind one.  Enjoy your husband, or wife and your children each day, because they are only with us a little while.  Plan for the worst and celebrate everyday that the worst doesn't happen.  And make life insurance a part of your plan!

J

The Future of Health Care!

So, what's the deal with heath insurance?  It seems like heath insurance is on every one's mind today ... The cost is rising and benefits are shirking, even in the face of last year's heath care reform. 

I quote health insurance for a bunch of families each week.  I really don't like to though, because the premiums are high and most folks need the coverage because their company has either cut benefits or personnel.  So they've had a bad week before they sit in my office and I'm just going to put another log on the fire.

One thing is for sure, we have not heard the last of heath care reform, There are too many open ended questions with the legislation that passed last year.  One of the most glaring is, what is the maximum that a health insurance company can charge for the insurance that the government is saying everyone must have in the next 4 years?  The cost of this program will fall to those that can pay for the coverage.  Those that can't pay will be in violation of the law and will still be treated with care bought by the tax payers ... in other words the middle class will foot the bill!

I'm not sure how to improve the system but I can say it is obvious that tort reform is necessary before the other issues can even be addressed.  Tort reform would be changes to the civil justice system that would limit the amounts paid out in minor health care related claims.  If a doctor or drug maker or hospital must pay hundreds of thousands each year to fend off lawsuits they will charge more for the end product or service to make up for that loss. 

Stopping predatory lawyers from getting huge settlements for minor claims (and taking 60% of it for their firms) will free up cash flow that can help lower the cost for health care without hurting the quality!  And that will lower health insurance premiums which will get more people buying it!

J