Newsletter 2018

Resolved: To Review Your Insurance in 2018

More than 40% of us make New Year’s resolutions. But only 8% of us actually achieve our goals, according to a Forbes article.Perhaps we’re focusing on the wrong things. Rather than another resolution that revolves around diet and exercise, try setting finance-related goals. Specifically, make the following insurance resolutions.

These can help you save money and better prepare for whatever 2018 has in store.
1. Review your policies.
Did you make any changes in 2017? Perhaps you got married, had a baby, bought a new home, or sold your boat. Carefully review all policies to ensure they’re still appropriate. Check that all information about your belongings, and more important, you, is accurate. Ensure adequate coverage is in place for your current lifestyle. Keep an eye out for any potential discounts.

2. Reduce claims.
Take steps to prevent claims this year. Use proper safety precautions in the kitchen. Keep your home and car secure by keeping things well-locked, well-lit, and well-protected. Use safe driving habits. For many, the key to all this is simply slowing down the frantic pace of life a bit. Take the time this year to focus on what you’re doing. Be “intentional.” You’ll have fewer mishaps at home and on the road. And the result will be a year highlighted, not with insurance claims, but with peace of mind.

3. Visit your agent.
With policies and inventory in hand, contact your insurance agent. The start of a new year is a great time to make an appointment so you can review all your coverage at the same time. He or she will help you determine what changes, if any, should be made for the year ahead. As well, your agent can recommend policy changes to save you money, point out discounts available, and make sure you have the right coverage for your current needs.
Keep these resolutions, and prepare for a secure 2018.

Worth Quoting

This month, some famous quotes on the topic of family:

Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.
– Michael J. Fox

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
– Mark Twain

Some of the most important conversations I’ve ever had occurred at my family’s dinner table.
– Bob Ehrlich

People are pretty forgiving when it comes to other people’s families. The only family that ever horrifies you is your own.
– Douglas Coupland

Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor.
– Marge Kennedy

Barbara Bujulian, Referral Rewards Raffle Winner!

Barbara Bujulian on left with Agent Debbie Vargas displays the rewards from the drawing. Thank you for your referrals, Barbara!

Caramelized Veggie Bowl

Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups diced butternut squash
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
8 ounces baby portabello mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
2-3 cups kale, stalks removed and finely chopped

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over high heat.

Add squash and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 5 min. Flip pieces and cook for 3 min. Push squash to one side.

Reduce heat to medium-high. Sauté onions for about 2 min., then add garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 min., combine with the squash, and push all to the side.

Add mushrooms and cook without turning for 4 min. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and quinoa to the pan, and mix everything together.

Add kale and 1 tablespoon of water, and cover. Steam for 2 min. or until kale is wilted but remains a vibrant green.

Uncover, stir together, and serve in bowls.

Quick Quiz

Each month I’ll give you a new question.
Just reply to our email for the answer.

What U.S. state can be typed using only one row of the QWERTY keyboard?

First 10 responders will be entered into drawing for 3 Starbuck’s gift cards.
Last month’s winners were Kelly Rider, Brenda Mendoza and Margie Diaz.

Larry Pruitt draws the winning ticket for our fourth quarter Client Referral Rewards Drawing.

Trend-Setting Boomers Are Still Doing What They Love

We can’t welcome 2018 without wondering what the boomer generation will be up to this year. In fact, many boomers are still doing what they love, and they’re still doing it well! After years of working for others, they’re making the decisions – and taking the risks – to start their own businesses in retirement.

Notes writer Wendy Mayhew in the Globe and Mail: “Many people can’t wait to retire. They want to golf, travel, or just take it easy. Others can’t wait to retire so they can start the business they have always dreamed about.”

According to the 2017 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurship, individuals between 55 and 64 accounted for 25.5% of all new entrepreneurs in 2016, while the number of 20- to 34-year-old entrepreneurs declined by 34.3% over a 20-year period to 24.4% in 2016.

Why? It may be that the boomer generation is healthier and more energetic than previous generations, it may be that boomers (who are notoriously bad savers) need to supplement their income in retirement, or it may simply be that older workers have a lot to offer.

In a recent CNBC article, Jody Holtzman, senior vice president of market innovation for AARP, suggests: “[As a boomer] you know what works and what doesn’t, you’ve been in small and big companies … You have a network, possibly savings, or other ways to gain access to capital. All of those things come together as key success factors for building and sustaining a business.”

Plus, boomers have always wanted to change the world. And now’s their chance.