Public Safety: CPR Makes You UNDEAD

Who says you can't learn something serious in a fun way.

Learning CPR will help you protect your loved ones.  (still get life insurance too.)

If you don't take an actual class, still know the basics.

With the recent popularity of zombies and TV shows like THE WALKING DEAD, let zombies teach you what they know best...coming back to life.

Thank you to theUndeading.ca and the the HEART & STROKE FOUNDATION.





* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarily an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Motorcycle Safety: Avoid the Middle of the Lane

One way to keep your rates down and stay safe, just avoid accidents completely.

Debris builds up in the middle of the lane.


 




* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Insure Your Love 2013

What would you do for love?




Would you secure their financial future?


* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarily an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

National Pancake Day: IHOP Supports the Children's Miracle Network

It's here again.  And it supports childrens' hospitals.

National Pancake Day.

February 5th, 2013.

Here's a reprint of last years blog below.

Click HERE for more info.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In San Diego, we'd be raising funds for Rady Children's Hospital, the San Diego region’s only designated trauma center and area hospital dedicated solely to pediatric care.  Read below to see how pancakes can help.

Reprint from ChildrensMiracleNetworkHospitals.org

The Healing Power of Pancakes BeginsToday!

Lately, we at CMN Hospitals can't stop thinking about pancakes. And that's because IHOP restaurants nationwide are embarking on a mission to raise $2.7 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities with its National Pancake Day celebration, set for Tuesday, February 28, 2012!


This pancake-based partnership has helped countless kids receive medical care, having raised more than $8 million in just six short (stack) years! For 2012, IHOP is making it easier than ever for their guests to participate with an online giving option and a month-long bounce-back Miracle Balloon sales offer.

Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, California

Pancake Pandemonium: As in years past, the National Pancake Day fundraiser invites guests to enjoy a free short stack of IHOP's warm, fluffy and oh-so-famous buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. IHOP restaurants hope that guests consider making a voluntary contribution to support the Children's Miracle Network Hospital in their area.

Quotes: Zig Ziglar

With the passing of Zig Ziglar today, we felt the best way to remember him would be with some of his own words.

Zig Ziglar
1926 - 2012

On Facebook.

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.

A goal properly set is halfway reached.

Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.

If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. 

Building a better you is the first step to building a better America.

I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.

Every choice you make has an end result.

Money isn't the most important thing in life, but it's reasonably close to oxygen on the "gotta have it" scale.

The Wisdom of Success

What do successful people (and just as importantly, those that study successful people) have to say about success?

Here's an article from Under30CEO.com.

1. “Identify your problems but give your power and energy to solutions.” Tony Robbins

2. “You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted.” Ruth E. Renkl

3. “The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing.” Socrates

4. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” John Wooden

5. “Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”  Abraham Lincoln

6. ” If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary.” Jim Rohn

7. “Trust because you are willing to accept the risk, not because it’s safe or certain.” Anonymous

8. “When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you’ve got plenty to watch.” 

Anonymous

9. “Screw it, Let’s do it!” Richard Branson

10. “Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.” Baltasa

11. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs

12. “The more you loose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.” Norman Vincent Peale

Holiday Magic CD for Childrens Hospitals

Every year, Jeff Gelder produces a "Holiday Magic" music CD for the benefit of Children in the hospital during the Christmas season.  Going into it's tenth year, the "gift" continues to grow.  The CD's are now distributed to Children's Hospitals beyond just San Diego.


Here's last year's Blog about the 2011 CD.

This year Jeff's holding a "Food Tasting & Silent Auction" this Saturday, December 8th, from 5 to 8pm at Casa de Luz.  

For more info, like on Facebook.

Auction items include:
Disneyland Park Hopper tickets, Sea World Tickets, artwork by local artists, hand crafted jewelry, and dinners at local restaurants.

Celebrity appearances  include Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek fame, Marian Michaels, Ashley Fox Linton, Teri Wilder, Peggy Lebo, and Karl Anthony.

“We appreciate all donations!  The more donations the more children that will be receiving a CD.” - source: www.holidaymagiccd.org

Thank you, and Merry Christmas.




* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Farmers Insurance Open Internship

As we inch closer to the 2013 tournament, we are looking to add a few great interns to assist our tournament staff!  Various positions available: http://bit.ly/T6hV1w

Reprint from Farmers Insurance Open.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarily an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Kasey Kahne & Farmers Racing Finish a Great Season

Reprint from Facebook:

"What a season! Kasey Kahne and the Farmers Insurance team finished 21st in the season finale at Miami and earned a fourth-place finish in the championship standings! "

Congratulations on a Great Season!

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

10 Pet-Friendly Home Additions

reprint from MSN.com:

An estimated 73 million dogs and 90 million cats live in U.S. homes, and Americans are increasingly remodeling not only for themselves but also for their four-legged friends.

"People want to live comfortably in their home, but they also want their home to be a safe haven for their pet," says Charlotte Reed, a pet expert and author in New York. Creating such a pet sanctuary can include some small — and a few large — renovations.

Here are 10 smart ideas on how you can make your home friendly and safe for your pet — and what impact these changes might have on your home if you decide to move out.

end of article.

For many, protecting your pets is just as important as protecting the homefront.  

Here are some of our other pet related blogs:

Pets and the Fourth of July.

Micro-chipping pets.

Make your yard a No-Bite Zone.

Protecting Furry Dependents.

Rescue Dogs.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarily an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

To Plan or Not to Plan?

Want a new career?

"Plan" courtesy FEMA.

Want a better family life?

Want success and happiness?

What safety for your family and friends?  (That's where the insurance angle comes in.)

What's your plan?   It seems everyone has an opinion about "planning" or the lack there of.

Whether the plan works or not, it seems often planning took part in the process along the way to your final destination...good or bad.

Here are some quotes to ponder.


To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.
Leonard Bernstein 

If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.
Jim Rohn

Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.
Margaret Thatcher 

You can always amend a big plan, but you can never expand a little one. I don't believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now.
Harry S. Truman

I've never been able to plan my life. I just lurch from indecision to indecision.
Alan Rickman 

Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.
Napoleon Hill

Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal, with takes the imagination by storm, and second, a definite intelligible plan for carrying that ideal into practice.
Arnold J. Toynbee

Kasey Kahne & Farmers Have Your New Car

Re-print from Nascar.com

Kahne sponsor Farmers to give away new car

October 10, 2012 4:32 PM, EDT

LOS ANGELES -- Farmers Insurance is rewarding one lucky Kasey Kahne fan with keys to a new car.

As NASCAR's top drivers take to the track in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, fans of Kahne and the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet can chase their own dreams of that new car smell by entering the Farmers Insurance Start Your Engines Sweepstakes.

Fans can play for a chance to win $35,000 towards a Chevy at HendrickCars.com, and other fun prizes.

The eight week contest runs through November 15, 2012. Simply visit http://FarmersPickAKey.com and select a key off the wall to be automatically entered into the grand prize drawing. If the engine starts, you'll win an instant prize -- a $25 or $50 certificate good towards Kasey Kahne gear at the NASCAR.COM Superstore.

Five instant prizes will be awarded daily. Fans can enter once per day, every day -- the more you play, the better your chances of winning.

"The best part of this sweepstakes is no one goes away a loser thanks to some hilarious consolation prizes," said Erin Freeman, chief communications officer for Farmers Insurance. "All players will unlock never-before-seen videos of Kasey in true Farmers humor -- one features Kasey driving backwards while speaking backwards."
Once unlocked, fans can share these videos on their personal social media pages. To hear the backstory on this sweepstakes from Kahne himself, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2gKEcZtj4U

"We had a great time making these videos and I think they'll get people laughing," said Kahne. "It's been a lot of fun working with Farmers this season and they're doing great things for our fans. We're all looking forward to giving away that new Chevy."

To learn more about the Farmers Insurance Racing program, please visit http://Facebook.com/FarmersRacing and http://twitter.com/WeAreFarmers .

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Rady Children's Hospital: Putt For A Purpose

Jasmine Guerrero (now Jasmine Corona) a Farmers Insurance Agent who works under the Platinum Elite Marketing System is taking part in an upcoming Golf Tournament benefiting Rady Children's Hospital.

See details from Jasmine below.

Join our Aloha Putt for a Purpose Golf Tournament

Guerrero Insurance Agency is sponsoring a hole and we hope you can join in on the fun! Our goal is to put together a few foursomes out of our network of clients and friends. 

Last year our golf tournament supported March of Dimes and this year we are still sticking with the kids and supporting Rady Children's Hospital. It's a fun way to support a good cause, play a little golf and get to know us a little better. We take pride in supporting our community and hope we can inspire your participation.

The Purpose: Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego
When: October 5^th
Shotgun Start: 8:00am
The Course: Riverwalk
                     1150 Fashion Valley Road
                      San Diego, CA 92108
Register through September  7^th for $90.00 per player or $330.00 per foursome, costs increase after September 7^th.

To Register or Donate  Click Here!

The Platinum Elite Marketing does not represent any insurance company.  It develops agents working within the Insurance Industry.

Contact the Platinum Elite for details on how to get started.



* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarily an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

The Rose Parade: Married on the "Love Float"

Reprint: LAist.com.

Engaged? How You Can Win a Wedding Atop 'The Love Float' at 2013 Rose Parade

If your dream wedding involves saying "I do" atop a very public parade float, you are lucky in love. Farmers Insurance has announced its entry into the 124th Rose Parade, one that asks engaged-to-be-married couples for their immediate participation.

"The Love Float" will host a live wedding on New Year's Day 2013, offering one lucky couple "the chance to share [their] love with 50 million television viewers and 900,000 parade goers," according to the Farmers Facebook page. Couples must submit their entry to the nationwide contest by October 14, after which a panel of judges will choose up to four finalists to be put to a public vote.

The complete "Dream Wedding" package includes the following: a trip to Pasadena for the winning couple and up to six witnesses, the exclusive opportunity to get hitched atop "The Love Float," a wedding dress for the bride, a tuxedo for the groom, his and hers wedding rings, hair and makeup services for the bride on the big day, marriage license fees and of course, two tickets to the 2013 Rose Bowl Game. Four finalists will score a $500 gift card from Farmers.

Life Insurance: Preparing for Change

One thing is permanent: Change! 

reprint from Farmers

Do you periodically evaluate your life insurance needs? If not, perhaps you should. As circumstances in our lives change, our life insurance needs may change as well. That’s why it’s a good idea to review your life insurance needs annually — more often if significant changes or life events occur. Here are some major life events that might trigger the need to re-evaluate your life insurance coverage: 

The birth or adoption of a child — If you have children, you want to see them realize their hopes and dreams. These days, it’s difficult enough to make that happen with you in the picture. What if you or your spouse — or worse yet, both of you — were suddenly out of the picture? Would there be enough income to pay for day care, college, and everything in between? Life insurance may help you answer “yes” to these questions. 

Change in marital status — If you’re newly married or just getting married, you probably share many dreams for the future — you also share each other’s financial obligations. If one of you were suddenly removed from the picture, would the surviving spouse have enough money to cover final expenses, eliminate debts such as credit card balances and car loans, and buy some time to adjust to a new way of life? If one of you were to die prematurely, life insurance may help ensure that these needs will be met.

If you’re on your own now, whether through death or divorce, you may want to reassess your overall financial situation, including your life insurance needs. It’s almost like starting from scratch again because being on your own will likely affect just about every financial calculation you can think of. 

Home purchase — If you and your spouse recently purchased a home, there’s a good chance you acquired a mortgage as well. Could your spouse manage the mortgage payments without your income? What about property taxes, routine maintenance, utilities and unforeseen repairs? How long would your spouse have before your dream house was up for sale? Life insurance coverage may help keep the family you love in the home they love. 

Job change — If you recently changed jobs, a salary increase may have come with it. You may not realize it, but when your income increases, your spending tends to increase too. If something were to happen to you, you’d probably want your family to be able to maintain their new and improved lifestyle. That’s why it’s a good idea to reassess your life insurance coverage whenever your income rises. 

Planning for college — College costs continue to increase so you may want to begin your college savings efforts sooner, in order to achieve your goals. Having a regular savings strategy is just one part of a balanced college funding plan. You may also want to consider a smart risk management strategy to help ensure that your college savings goals will be achieved even if you’re not there, and that strategy may include life insurance coverage. 

Call me. Things may change but I can help you analyze your needs so that you can determine an appropriate strategy to support your individual objectives.

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

end of article

Our other life Insurance themed blogs:

Charitable Giving with Life Insurance

The greatest need: Single Parents

Families with Special Needs Children

British Royal Marine spends a message with his life insurance

Advanced LUTCF Training for Platinum Elite Team Members

Life Insurance Awareness Month

The Romance-O-Meter: Insure Your Love

Always make sure your auto, fire (home, condo, & renters), earthquake, flood, umbrella, and life insurances all properly work together to protect your home, your business, your future.

Home Safety: Your Driveway, Your Responsibility

reprint from Farmers Insurance

Your own personal little highway:
Your driveway 

You may think of your driveway as a simple strip of concrete that takes you from your private property to public roadways. Or perhaps its brick pavers are an attractive part of your curb appeal. In either case, your driveway is your responsibility — make sure it’s properly maintained so it doesn’t become a hazard. 

Trip and fall
Driveways don’t stay smooth forever — uneven pavers or driveway cracks and potholes are a common problem. They compromise the appearance of the driveway, can be hard on your car and most importantly, can present a tripping hazard. If someone trips and falls on your property you may be legally responsible for their injuries. And some homeowners insurance policies may not offer enough protection against major personal liability claims. 

What would you do if a mishap occurred on your property and caused damage or injuries beyond the terms of your homeowners insurance? Worse yet, what would you do if you found yourself named as the defendant in a multi-million dollar lawsuit because of damages or injuries that occurred on your property? We don’t expect the unthinkable to happen but sometimes it does. Although there’s no way to completely avoid the possibility of being sued, there is a way to help reduce the potential impact of a devastating lawsuit: personal liability coverage. 

Do you have an umbrella?
Farmers Personal Liability Umbrella insurance supplements the liability coverage you already have through your homeowners or auto insurance and provides an extra layer of protection through increased or excess coverage limits. The umbrella policy kicks in when you reach the limit on your underlying liability coverage. Most importantly, the cost of your legal defense is provided for a covered loss. 

Plan for the unexpected 
Most of us work very hard to accumulate assets — it’s important to try to protect them. You never know when the unexpected may occur — make sure you’re prepared and don’t forget your umbrella. Call me for more information. 

You may want to consider purchasing a Personal Umbrella policy if: 

• You want greater liability coverage than you already have through your homeowners or auto insurance. 
• Your total assets exceed your underlying liability limits. 
• You want to make sure your current assets and future earnings are protected. 
• You earn or have the potential to earn significant income. 
• You have or have the potential to have assets over $1 million, including property and vehicles. 
• You are financially responsible for a young or inexperienced driver. 
• You frequently carpool young children. 
• You own or operate an aircraft or boat. 
• You own a swimming pool, trampoline or dog. 
• You own waterfront property, a farm or a ranch. 
• You employ one or more people in your home.

end of article

Always make sure your auto, fire (home, condo, & renters), earthquake, flood, umbrella, and life insurances all properly work together to protect your home, your business, your future.

Life Insurance: Difficult Decisions

reprint for Farmers

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

end of article

Always make sure your auto, fire (home, condo, & renters), earthquake, flood, umbrella, and life insurances all properly work together to protect your home, your business, your future.

Farmers Insurance & Little League Unite in the Name of Good Sportsmanship

reprint MLB.com

Old, wise message finds new baseball audience

'He's Just a Little Boy' poem being posted at Little League fields

By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com | 08/04/12 1:44 PM ET

It's an urgent message of civility that echoes through the ages, a plea for compassion that comes from an author beyond the grave. And against all odds, it resonates better than ever today. 

Joel McKinnon didn't immediately realize what he had stumbled upon when he found a poem called "He Is Just a Little Boy" posted at a Little League field. McKinnon simply took a picture of the poem and posted it to his Facebook page, and suddenly an entire movement blossomed around it. 

Now, McKinnon and his employer -- Farmers Insurance -- find themselves printing the inspirational poem onto signs and shipping them to fields around the country. Around 1,500 fields have requested copies of the poem, which urges spectators to take the feelings of players into account. 

"I was doing nothing more than what's already been done: Sharing the message," said McKinnon. "I've always been a fan of positive reinforcement. You don't push people down. You lift them up. You're not always going to win, and when you don't, there's a right way and a wrong way to handle it."

Kids, believe it or not, usually grasp that lesson on their own through experience and through the tutelage of their coaches. Parents sometimes get carried away, though, a phenomenon that's as true today as it was when Chaplain Bob Fox penned his poem sometime before World War II.

McKinnon said he believed the poem had been written sometime in the '20s or 30's, but its anti-heckling refrain bears ample currency today. The poem dramatizes the all-or-nothing stakes of competition and urges fans to watch the game politely lest they ruin the game for the kids.

Kasey Kahne Wins the Lenox 301 in New Hampshire

Congratulation to Kasey Kahne for his win today at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the Lenox 301.  See article.


We're biased.  We're big fans of the Farmers Insurance #5 car.

For more Nascar info, click HERE.


* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Kasey Kahne and Stop Texts, Stop Wrecks

Some of you may know Kasey Kahne as the driver of Nascar's #5 race car sponsored by Farmers Insurance.

Saw this on Facebook.  It does make the
point about texting and driving.

While he looks to set records for speed on the track, when on the road with the rest of us, driver's safety is paramount.

See his new public service announcement for "Stop Texts. Stop Wrecks." below.

Platinum Elite Marketing wishes you safe travels as you go to work, school, and out to have fun.  Please pull over to the side of the road if you really need to read or send a text message.

Our Farmers agents happily pay auto claims when we need to, but like you, we don't want to pay more often than we need to.  Please avoid distracted driving.

Even worse, we hate paying life insurance and auto insurance claims at the same time.

Our past Kasey Kahne blogs:

Kasey Kahne Visits the University of Farmers.

Kahne Updates: #Farmers5.

Gearing up for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series.

Kahne Partners with Farmers Insurance.

Past Related Blogs:


Zero Tolerance for Texting.
Texting Documentary.
The Swoop & Squat.
Farmers Insurance Distracted Driving Commercial.
Distracted Driving: A Simple Kiss While Driving?
Insuring Old Cars vs. Classic Cars
Auto safety: Critters in the Road
Understanding Auto Insurance: Mom, the Chauffeur
Comp Coverage for Older Cars
Adding Umbrella Coverage to improve your Auto Insurance
Driving Safety: National Tire Safety Week
Caliber Collision: What to Expect in a Claim
The CHP's "Every 15 Minutes Program"



* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.