http://www.socalquote.com/blog/View SoCal Quote's Website Blogen-uspostmaster@www.socalquote.comInsurance Website Builder - www.insurancewebsitebuilder.comurn:uuid:82e64f2b-610f-428a-ace7-76494e3179d1urn:uuid:4af40dc9-022f-4eb9-b3fa-304f8826a273Why I purchased Life insurance at 24* Everybody&rsquo;s situation is different. Mine began with a whole bunch of first: my first job; my first apartment; my first Life insurance policy. I am now a 24-year-old single individual, with no dependents, w...Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:58:10 -0500<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>Why I purchased Life insurance at 24*</b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>Everybody&rsquo;s situation is different. </b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Mine began with a whole bunch of first: my first job; my first apartment; my first Life insurance policy. I am now a 24-year-old single individual, with no dependents, with some disposable income &ndash; and a life insurance policy owner. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>How did this happen? </b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The conversation began at work. I asked Sean, a colleague, about his retirement future and how he intends to plan for it. He rattled off the usual, in no certain order: 401(k) plan, Roth IRA account, personally-held stocks and bonds, a money market account. And, life insurance.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I was surprised by the last one. Life insurance was a part of his financial portfolio? My understanding was that we received life insurance through our employer; so, basically, we were covered. And, I didn&rsquo;t view life insurance as a part of any financial strategy. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Sean went on to say that life insurance has always been a part of his family&rsquo;s financial blueprint, and was purchased primarily for the death benefit. The Whole Life insurance policy that his father purchased early in his own life actually helped pay for bill&rsquo;s college education.&nbsp; And, now, Sean said that the Whole Life insurance policy he currently owns is now helping pay off his student loan.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>Sean&rsquo;s Living Benefits</b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I have always equated life insurance with death. Once a death claim is paid to a beneficiary, that person can use the proceeds as needed. Well, Sean quickly dispelled that notion for me. Here is what he said are some of the &ldquo;living benefits&rdquo; of Whole Life Insurance:</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><em>"These are benefits available to you while you are still alive. Cash value accumulated in a permanent life insurance policy can help you pay for life&rsquo;s anticipated, and perhaps unanticipated, events, such as buying your first home, education expenses or a wedding.</em><em>^**</em><em> &nbsp;Once the need for death benefit protection has decreased, you can access the cash value&nbsp;in a the Whole Life policy via Policy loans."</em></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><em></em></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><em>Sean took advantage of the living benefits of his whole life insurance policy to help pay off his student loan. He purchased his policy at 24, the same age I am currently. Now 36, he&rsquo;s married and plans to again borrow some of his policy&rsquo;s cash value to offset costs for their first home. He is going to continue to fund his Whole Life insurance policy so that when he enters his retirement years, he can use some of the cash value to supplement his retirement income. </em></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><em>As we got deeper into the conversation, the idea of buying a Whole Life insurance policy made more and more sense to me. Still, there were cost considerations I had to take into account. I, too, am paying off a student loan, and close to erasing my credit card debt. So, there was some lingering doubt. </em></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><em><b>The benefits of Beginning Now</b></em></p> <p><em>Sean understood </em>and appreciated my point about cost &mdash; he had similar concerns before he bought his policy. What really sealed the deal for me, however, is when Sean recounted what his father said when he questioned becoming a policyholder in his twenties.</p> <p>This is what Sean relayed to me: <em>"Basically, the younger you are, the lower the price will be to insure you. Also, you're in good health now, so your premiums will be lower than if you decided to get life insurance at my age, when your health status may change and put you at risk for being unable to obtain life insurance at an affordable cost or even at all. And, if you lock in your premium now, it will never increase &mdash; guaranteed."</em></p> <p><em>"So, with a little belt-tightening now, by becoming a life insurance policyholder, you will have an important and secure financial-building block for your future."</em></p> This has certainly been an eye-opening experience for me. What are the next steps? The best place to start is with a needs assessment by a professional life insurance agent.<br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px;">Check Our New Life Insurance Video<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.socalquote.com/life/life_quote_.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Click Here</span></a>urn:uuid:0ba81c03-6ed6-445e-a60a-e0997d46da59Choosing the right life insurance requires an expert; choosing the right beneficiaries requires you. There are no restrictions on who can be designated as a beneficiary. There are no limitations on how many people can be beneficiaries. Your benefici...Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:51:57 -0500<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 18px;">Choosing the right life insurance requires an expert; choosing the right beneficiaries requires you. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 18px;">There are no restrictions on who can be designated as a beneficiary. There are no limitations on how many people can be beneficiaries. Your beneficiary doesn&rsquo;t even have to be a person; many people choose that their life insurance dividends be paid out to charities or religious institutions.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 18px;">&nbsp;Whether you chose to designate your beneficiary as an individual or an institution, it is essential that they are identified correctly, before you check out. A Simple misspelling of a name, or something like &ldquo;all of my children&rdquo; could disqualify someone. Be sure to add their social security numbers to your own will or trust for records. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 18px;">Life insurance Policies are customizable, so you can divvy shares or percentages out to different family members or organizations. One of the best ways to secure proper disposal of life insurance benefits is to stick it in a trust. A trust is a nice way of maneuvering your life insurance so it does not enter your estate and won&rsquo;t be subjected to brutal taxes. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 18px;">If you are starting a family, business, or need retirement advise we can help and so can life insurance. </span></p>urn:uuid:fe11ee97-042b-49ee-8976-e160289054dc<img src='http://www.socalquote.com/img/~www.socalquote.com/Ryan%20Business%20Picture.png' align='left' /> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CONTACT: RYAN KRUPKA &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 888.457.8752 Three WAYS TO HELP YOU SAVE MONEY ON YOUR LIFE INSURANCE Local Insurance Expert Offers Cost-Cutting Tips...Tue, 11 May 2010 14:22:27 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.socalquote.com/Ryan%20Business%20Picture.png" /><br /> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CONTACT: RYAN KRUPKA</span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 888.457.8752</span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 10pt;">Three </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">WAYS TO HELP YOU SAVE MONEY ON YOUR LIFE INSURANCE </span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Local Insurance Expert Offers Cost-Cutting Tips to Encourage Consumers</span></i></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">to Maintain Their Coverage</span></i></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">CAMARILLO 05/10/2010 &ndash;</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;"> Uneasiness about the state of the economy has prompted </span><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">Americans to look for ways to spend less wherever they can. If dropping your life insurance coverage is one of the options you&rsquo;ve been considering, here&rsquo;s some welcome news. You may be able to hold onto your coverage and save money in the process. </span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">&ldquo;Life insurance is a financial safety net for your loved ones, so the absolute worst time to drop coverage is when you&rsquo;re feeling financially vulnerable,&rdquo; says <b>Ryan Krupka, Personal Insurance Advisor </b>with <b>Krupka Family Insurance Agency, Inc. </b>&ldquo;A far better solution is to find a way to save money on your existing coverage, and I&rsquo;ve got some tips to help people do just that.&rdquo; </span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, </span><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-size: 10pt;">the perfect time to review your life insurance needs with an insurance professional. If you already have coverage, you may be able to cut costs based on the following, says </span><b><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">Krupka</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-size: 10pt;">: </span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-family: wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">?<span style="font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">&nbsp; </span></span><b><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-size: 10pt;">You&rsquo;re healthier.</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-size: 10pt;"> If you have quit smoking, lost a substantial amount of weight or made significant improvements to your health, let your insurance company know. You may be able to qualify for a lower rate on your coverage. </span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="line-height: 150%; background: white; 0: ;"><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-family: wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">?<span style="font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">&nbsp; </span></span><b><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">Rates are near historic lows. </span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">Life insurance rates remain near historic lows. In fact, the cost of basic term life insurance has fallen by nearly 50 percent over the past decade. </span><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">So if your family&rsquo;s budget is tight and your health status hasn&rsquo;t changed much since the time you last purchased coverage, you may want to apply for a new policy. If you do, make sure not to drop your current coverage until the new policy is in force. </span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%; background: white; 0: ;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-family: wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">?<span style="font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">&nbsp; </span></span><b><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-size: 10pt;">Circumstances have changed. </span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-size: 10pt;">It is smart to review your policy every year to make sure it&rsquo;s adequate and up to date. If the kids are out of the house, your mortgage has been paid off, you&rsquo;ve gotten divorced or family members no longer need your financial support, your need for life insurance coverage may have decreased. A smaller face amount policy will likely save you money.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;">&ldquo;If people depend on you financially, life insurance is an absolute must and needs to remain a priority,&rdquo; says <b>Krupka</b></span><span style="line-height: 150%; layout-grid-mode: line; font-size: 10pt;">.</span><span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt;"> &ldquo;But no one should pay more than they have to, especially in these tough economic times.&rdquo;</span></p>urn:uuid:b6583a89-5a5a-4cc1-9074-329149e10f1dDon&rsquo;t have life insurance on your non-employed spouse&hellip;.BIG MISTAKE!!! This article is dedicated to Alicia C., &nbsp;A dedicated mother and wife &nbsp;(1966 &ndash; 2001) In my many years of protecting families through life insurance, th...Tue, 04 May 2010 12:38:06 -0500<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Don&rsquo;t have life insurance on your non-employed spouse&hellip;.<b>BIG MISTAKE!!!</b></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>This article is dedicated to Alicia C., &nbsp;A dedicated mother and wife &nbsp;(1966 &ndash; 2001) </b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">In my many years of protecting families through life insurance, the most common mistake that I see repeatedly is not buying life insurance on the non-employed spouse.&nbsp; After all, buying life insurance on the breadwinner in the family in order to replace their income is common sense.&nbsp; But what about the other spouse who is working equally as hard at home raising the children?</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I must admit that in my rookie years selling life insurance, I too did not fully recognize the importance of insuring the non-employed spouse in a family.&nbsp; That all changed in August 2001 though.&nbsp; One of my close long time friends named Josh was married to his high school sweetheart Alicia.&nbsp; Josh was a sales rep for a developing medical device company.&nbsp; He traveled up and down the West Coast as part of his job and was gone for weeks at a time.&nbsp; When he was at home, he often worked 11 to 12 hour days and it was not uncommon to find him in the office making phone calls on the weekend.&nbsp; </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Josh and Alicia had two young children, a little boy 4 years old and a little girl 2 years old.&nbsp; The 2 year old girl had special needs and required 24/7 supervision from her mother.&nbsp; Alicia was 9 months pregnant with their 3^rd child.&nbsp; One day back in August of 2001, I got a phone call from Josh&rsquo;s brother who could barely speak.&nbsp; He informed me that Alicia was in a horrific car accident.&nbsp; She was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately both Alicia and her baby did not survive the accident.&nbsp; To say Josh&rsquo;s life was turned upside down is an understatement. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Josh did not have life insurance on Alicia at the time of her death, which was a terrible mistake that would ultimately magnify Josh&rsquo;s pain and suffering over the upcoming months and years.&nbsp; On top of the emotional anguish that Josh was going through, he now had the added pressure of dealing with the financial aftermath of Alicia&rsquo;s death, something that had to be dealt with sooner rather than later.&nbsp; Josh took the first two months off after Alicia&rsquo;s death to be with his children and to sort out what he would do next.&nbsp; Josh was in a terrible position because even if he could find the emotional strength to go back to work, he needed to physically be there for his kids. &nbsp;He could no longer travel for weeks at a time or work the long hours that his job required him to do on a daily basis.&nbsp; </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Within two years of Alicia&rsquo;s death, Josh was forced to change jobs and take a position making significantly less money but allowing him to stay closer to home.&nbsp; He had to sell his beautiful home where his children were raised because he could no longer cover the mortgage.&nbsp; He moved into a small rental house close to Alicia&rsquo;s parents who helped him raise his chidren while he was working.&nbsp; This obviously placed much undue stress on Alicia&rsquo;s parents who were also still in the grieving process over the loss of their daughter.&nbsp; All of this unnecessary anguish Josh and his family went through could have been avoided had Josh just purchased a life policy on Alicia before her untimely passing.&nbsp; </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">People do not realize how cheap term life insurance actually is.&nbsp; For a 35 year old woman in good health, a $500,000 twenty year term life policy is less than $30 per month.&nbsp; It is only a few dollars more for a man.&nbsp; For that small sum of money, $500,000 of income tax free money is paid to you right at the most vulnerable point of your family&rsquo;s life.&nbsp; That money will not only change your family&rsquo;s life but it may very well save it.&nbsp; It will give you time to grieve with your children and rebuild your life.&nbsp; You owe it to yourself and your family to provide this important protection.&nbsp; Please call Sean today to discuss life insurance protection for your family.&nbsp; If you already have coverage, you should review it annually to make sure it is the proper amount of coverage and that the beneficiaries are set up correctly.&nbsp; </p>urn:uuid:f1de6d03-12d5-4fe6-b6b0-af9f3db51584Seems to me that We've experienced more 7.0 and greater earthquakes in  the last 4 months than we have in the last 20 years! If you don't have earthquake insurance today   ....perhaps now would be a good time to seriously consider adding it? If you...Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:10:10 -0500<p>Seems to me that We've experienced more 7.0 and greater earthquakes in <br /> the last 4 months than we have in the last 20 years!<br /> <br /> If you don't have earthquake insurance today<br />   ....perhaps now would be a good time to seriously consider adding it?<br /> <br /> If your still unsured, simply ask yourself these questions: </p> <p >1). Can I afford 2 mortgages even if I could qualify for another mtg <br /> in this economy?<br /> <br /> 2) If you don't like the idea of doubling your mtg...not to worry your <br /> liability is limited ....fema's maximum loan is only 240k but you must <br /> qualify for it. Unfortunately this amount will only rebuild 1200 ft of <br /> house so maybe the house was to big anyway? Less housework plus it <br /> keeps the family close<br /> <br /> 3).Have u considered that your employment might be effected by this <br /> event as well? Some companies closed up in the 94' 6.4 quake not sure <br /> if the same trend could continue in a 7.8 quake<br /> <br /> 4). Did u know that if you choose not to rebuild you can still get the <br /> $? you can scrape the lot demo the home, pay off the mtg and move to <br /> Texas if you like and dont forget the $ you get from EQ coverage is Income Tax Free!<br /> <br /> <br /> I often hear people say that the coverage cost is prohibitive but <br /> usually it only costs $100-150 / month. You can't afford not to have it.<br /> <br /> Finally we offer this coverage thru the CEA ( Calif. Earthqukae Authority) which is the worlds largsest <br /> earthquake carrier. Remember when you were a kid and you used to say it's <br /> better to ask for forgiveness than permission?<br /> <br /> Well there will be millions in line asking their gov (fema) for a loan , grant or<br /> some form of government aid. Problem is history has shown the government doesn't <br /> respond to well ( ie New Orleans).</p> <p>So unless you really like living in a <br /> trailer out of state.... Maybe, just maybe, it's time to switch sides on <br /> this debate and  become one of the 13% in the state that is prepared and <br /> does carry this coverage . I can think of alot of worse ways to spend<br /> $100/ month and aren't your real estate holdings  probably the biggest <br /> asset you own?<br /> <br /> Do the math ! Ten yrs of premium is between $14-18,000 . come eq time <br /> you collect $200-300.000 income tax free and your not bankrupt. Think about it.....what would be a better deal? the<br /> the $18,000 in saved premium plus 2% interest or the $315,000 of income tax free benefits??<br /> <br /> This has been a public service message from krupka family insurance <br /> Agency Inc. We welcome your thoughts &amp; comments</p> urn:uuid:cdf30d5c-e8f5-4cac-a8ae-30c00da2f22bWhat is an Umbrella Policy? Most people have heard of a umbrella policy before, but do you know what it actually does ? Well for starters the reason the insurance pro’s named it after an umbrella is because it acts like one.  Picture an umbrella that...Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:54:21 -0500<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px;">What is an Umbrella Policy?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px;">Most people have heard of a umbrella policy before, but do you know what it actually does ? Well for starters the reason the insurance pro’s named it after an umbrella is because it acts like one.  Picture an umbrella that sits above your house, cars, and follows you around anywhere you go.  So in case it rains when you don’t expect it, it will provide protection.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px;">Umbrella policies are designed to provide protection from lawsuits when all of your existing insurance is exhausted, It’s a just in case it rains or ... hails type of policy. Now picture this, you are driving home from work late on Friday night, you are over worked and you just need to relax. As you pull into a crowded intersection, and WHAM!! You were hit by a drunk driver, and you died. How much would you want your family to get from that other person?? The typical answer is everything I can .. and then some. Now let’s reverse the rolls, If you killed the primary wage earner in a family on that Friday night. What do you expect them to try to sue for? Your answer should be everything that they can get.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px;">So umbrella policies are designed for what if scenarios that we don’t like to think about. They can pay $million to $million. The good news is that they are affordable about $1.10 a day, so please contact us today so we can discuss your options. Remember an umbrella is for getting stuck outside in the rain, an umbrella policy is for peace of mind.</span></p> urn:uuid:342af409-0aed-405a-9e84-f22775501d66Recent Articles Illustrating Umbrella Policy Value VenturaCountyStar Wednesday, September 19, 2007       Dear Bruce: I saw my insurance man today and made a few adjustments to my auto policy. Since I have two drivers under the age of 18, I asked hi...Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:54:54 -0500<p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 18pt; text-decoration: underline;">Recent Articles Illustrating Umbrella Policy Value </span></b></p> <p><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;">VenturaCountyStar</span></b></p> <p><span style="color: blue;">Wednesday, September 19, 2007       </span></p> <p>Dear Bruce<span style="text-decoration: underline;">: I saw my insurance man today </span>and made a few adjustments to my auto policy. Since I have two drivers under the age of 18, I asked him if I had enough liability insurance. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">He said I should have an umbrella policy for $1 million</span>. My current liability is $300,000 to $500,000<span style="text-decoration: underline;">. Is this the policy I should have?</span> — K.L., via e-mail</p> <p>Dear K.L.: <b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Your insurance agent is doing you a service</span></b>, but the fact that you went to see him and had to ask makes me wonder about his paying attention to details: $300,000 to $500,000 an automobile is almost like being uninsured. It is certainly underinsured. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">An umbrella policy</span>, which simply means that when your $300,000 or $500,000 is exhausted the umbrella will pick up an extra million, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">is an absolute requisite. In fact, I would suggest $2 million or $3 million. </span></p> <p>The fact that you have kids under 18 who are driving might make the insurance company a little nervous about underwriting such a large umbrella policy. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">If you can get it, grab it. You can do a million dollars' worth of damage without working up a sweat</span>. <b>There are so many people who run around with very little insurance and think that they're properly insured, but they are sadly mistaken.</b><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">   (SEE BELOW)</span></b></p> <h1 style="margin: auto 0in auto 4.5pt; background: #f9fcfe;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 20pt;">$7.9 million awarded to Ventura family</span></h1> <h2 style="margin: auto 0in auto 4.5pt; background: #f9fcfe;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">Man is found responsible for 2006 Tulare collision that killed woman</span></h2> <p style="line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt 4.5pt; background: #f9fcfe; vertical-align: top;" class="byline"><span style="color: #333333;">By <a href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/staff/raul-hernandez/"><span style="color: #023c77;">Raul Hernandez</span></a> (<a href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/staff/raul-hernandez/contact/"><span style="color: #023c77;">Contact</span></a>) <br /> Friday, September 5, 2008 </span></p> <p style="line-height: 13.5pt; background: #f9fcfe;"><span style="color: #333333;"> A jury has awarded a multimillion-dollar judgment to the family of a Ventura     woman who died in a 2006 traffic accident in Tulare.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 13.5pt; background: #f9fcfe; margin-left: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">The Tulare County jury awarded $7.9 million on Wednesday afternoon to the family of Dianne Smith, 53, after listening to testimony and evidence for four weeks in the wrongful-death lawsuit.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 13.5pt; background: #f9fcfe; margin-left: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">Attorney John Howard of Ventura, who represented Smith's family, said that with interest and court costs, the judgment will be about $8.3 million.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1 style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin: auto 0in; background: #f9fcfe;"> <h1 style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin: auto 0in; background: #f9fcfe;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none;"></span></h1> <span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><br /> Ventura County Star</span></h1> <h1 style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin: auto 0in; background: #f9fcfe;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt;">$12 million awarded to family of killed cyclist</span></h1> <h2 style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin: auto 0in auto 5pt; background: #f9fcfe;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt;">Suit asked for damages to cover T.O. man's lost wages</span> </h2> <p style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin: auto 0in auto 5pt; background: #f9fcfe;" class="byline"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: 8pt;">By <a href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/staff/raul-hernandez/"><span style="color: blue;">Raul Hernandez</span></a> (<a href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/staff/raul-hernandez/contact/"><span style="color: blue;">Contact</span></a>)</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-size: 8pt;"> <br /> <b>Saturday, November 3, 2007</b> </span></p> <p style="line-height: 15.05pt; background: #f9fcfe;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">A jury Friday awarded $12.5 million in damages to the family of a dentist killed in an accident while riding his bicycle last year .Glenn Garvin, 49, an avid cyclist, was struck by a vehicle and killed on Sept. 16, 2006, while riding along Westlake Boulevard. The Thousand Oaks resident was a member of the city's traffic advisory board and a bicycle safety volunteer.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 15.05pt; background: #f9fcfe; margin-left: 5pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">His family filed a wrongful death suit against the driver, Norma Seigel, 82, of Thousand Oaks. The president of the Ventura County Bar Association said he believes Friday's award of damages is one of the highest ever involving a personal injury or wrongful death suit in Ventura County. "I am not aware of one, off the top of my head, that can top that," said attorney and bar president Jonathan Light. The Garvin family's lawyer, Mark Hiepler, praised the jury's decision. "I am pleased a jury of conservative Ventura County people saw the value of the life of a father and husband and the value he brought to the community," said Hiepler.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 15.05pt; background: #f9fcfe; margin-left: 5pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">In a prepared statement, wife Pamela Garvin, 50, said, "My husband, Glenn, was a volunteer traffic safety commissioner for the city of Thousand Oaks who taught and lived bicycle safety. His death as well as the deaths at the Santa Monica outdoor market, were all preventable and teach us that we must individually take responsibility for those we love, whether elderly or young, who should not be driving. "Pamela Garvin was referring to a 2003 incident in which an 86-year-old man drove his car into a crowd at the Santa Monica market, killing nine people and hurting dozens. The man said he couldn't stop and hit his accelerator instead of the brake. In the Garvin case, Seigel admitted she was responsible for the death, so the accident's cause wasn't an issue in the case. Instead, the trial focused on monetary damages. Seigel's ophthalmologist told her eight days before the accident that she had cataracts in both eyes, according to Hiepler. The day before the accident and during another visit to her ophthalmologist, she was told she had "dense cataracts" in both eyes.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 15.05pt; background: #f9fcfe; margin-left: 5pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">Seigel's lawyer, Robert Hanger, couldn't be reached for comment Friday. Attorney Light said he believes the jury's award was large partly because Garvin had a large annual income — future earnings the family will no longer receive. Garvin was an endodontist who earned about $746,633 in 2006, according to the lawsuit. "There was a loss of life. That's a big deal," Light said. Hiepler said Seigel has insurance and assets, and another court hearing will determine whether it will be enough to satisfy the judgment.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 15.05pt; background: #f9fcfe; margin-left: 5pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">The wrongful death trial lasted seven days in Superior Court in Simi Valley.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 15.05pt; background: #f9fcfe; margin-left: 5pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">During closing arguments, Hiepler never specified how much should be awarded but suggested it should be a large, multimillion-dollar sum. Hiepler said Pamela Garvin is now a single parent of two teenage sons who struggles without her husband of 25 years. Seigel had agreed to $39,878 in damages to cover such things as medical expenses and funeral costs.</span></p> urn:uuid:101f835e-16b9-4edd-af29-6d1c09efc098<img src='http://www.socalquote.com/img/~www.socalquote.com/earthquake.jpg' align='left' />World Changing Earthquakes   Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood   in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about 20 seconds. The earthquake had a "strong" moment ...Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:40:30 -0600<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">World Changing Earthquakes </p> <hr /> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> </p> <div style="text-align: left;"><strong><img alt="" style="margin: 4px; width: 176px; float: left; height: 123px;" src="/img/~www.socalquote.com/earthquake.jpg" />Northridge earthquake</strong> occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood   in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about <strong>20</strong> seconds. The earthquake had a "strong" moment <strong>magnitu</strong><strong>de of 6.7</strong>, but the ground acceleration was one of the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. <strong>Seventy-two deaths</strong> were attributed to the earthquake, with over <strong>9,000</strong><strong> injured</strong>. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated <strong>$20 billion in damage, </strong>making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.<br /> </div> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> </p>                                                                               <a href="/category.aspx?id=misc4" class="ApplyClass" target="_blank">List of California Earthquakes<br /> </a><hr /> <p><img alt="" style="margin: 4px; width: 183px; float: right; height: 122px;" src="/img/~www.socalquote.com/chiliearthquake.jpg" />The <strong>earthquake in Chili</strong> killed more than <strong>700 people</strong> and may be the most expensive for insurers since the 1994 Northridge quake. This quake is the world’s fifth strongest in the century, leveled buildings, knocked down power lines and <strong>damaged 1.5 million homes</strong>. The damage may cost insurers $2 billion to <strong>$8 billion</strong> according to estimates. As little as <strong>10 percent of residential properties</strong> are insured against earthquakes. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> </p> <br /> <hr /> The 2008 earthquake in China killed more than <strong>80,000 people</strong> and caused about <strong>$85 billion</strong> of damage, with only 300 million covered by insurance. In January, 2010 the earthquake in Haiti killed more than <strong>225,000 people</strong> and caused as much as <strong>$14 billion in losses</strong>. <p><embed height="405" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="500" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/1lsy0nGGO5U&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x006699&amp;color2=0x54abd6&amp;border=1" originalAttribute="src" originalPath="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/1lsy0nGGO5U&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x006699&amp;color2=0x54abd6&amp;border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></p> <p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong></strong></p> <a href="http://www.socalquote.com/category.aspx?id=EARTHQUAKE" class="ApplyClass" target="_parent"></a> <p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><a href="/category.aspx?id=EARTHQUAKE"><strong>Unfortunately only 13%</strong></a></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong> <a href="/category.aspx?id=EARTHQUAKE">Of California homeowners have earthquake insurance.</a></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><a href="/category.aspx?id=EARTHQUAKE"> Are you insured?</a></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></strong></p> urn:uuid:aa117a85-036a-4e85-8b66-425be93664cb1994 Northridge Earthquake Many homeowners in California don’t think they need to purchase Earthquake insurance because they can always tap into the equity of their property in the event they have earthquake damage. Well that may have been true 2 ...Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:33:35 -0600<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_earthquake" class="ApplyClass" target="_self">1994 Northridge Earthquake</a><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Many homeowners in California don’t think they need to purchase Earthquake insurance because they can always tap into the equity of their property in the event they have earthquake damage. Well that may have been true 2 or 3 years ago when the real estate market was piping hot, and we saw an average annual equity increase of 22% or higher in some areas. The reality now is that most areas in CA have been experiencing a sharp decline in property values over the last couple of years, and many homeowners are finding themselves in a negative equity position.<br /> <br /> So what happens if your home is worth $600,000 and you mortgage balance is $450,000 and an earthquake hits close to home? Most homeowners think that nothing will happen to their property, but what if does happen to their property and they don’t have an earthquake insurance policy? Historically we have seen an average 25% price reduction in real estate value after earthquake damage. Now I am talking worst case scenario which is the reason to own an earthquake policy. So if your house was worth $600K and you have earthquake damage (and you don’t have earthquake coverage), and it is now worth $450K which is the same as your mortgage balance you now have four options:<br /> <br /> 1st Option: Wait for FEMA to bail you out which may take a while and you will probably have to keep making your mortgage payment while also paying rent, because you are now displaced from your primary residence.<br /> <br /> 2nd Option: Go to the Bank and get a loan to repair your home. This isn’t a bad choice except for the fact that we are in a severe national credit crunch and most banks nowadays will not loan money against your home unless you have equity (and a lot of it), and even if you do equity they are extremely selective on who they will approve for a loan, so even if you have good credit an a decent documented income they may still not loan you the money … anyway I think most will agree it isn’t favorable out there right now.<br /> <br /> 3rd Option: Walk away from your home! Give up the house! Voluntarily surrender it back to the mortgage holder because you can’t live in it and don’t have the money to fix it, so you’re going to have to pay rent instead of your mortgage.<br /> <br /> 4th Option: Keep paying the mortgage payments, pay rent somewhere while your house is being repaired and come up with the money required to repair the house on your own somehow … an improbable option for most people.<br /> <br /> It looks like a lose-lose situation picking any of the 4 option.<br /> <br /> Now what would happen if at the same scenario you did have earthquake insurance? Well after the dust settles and the dogs stop barking you call your insurance company and file a claim, the adjuster comes out, you get several proposals from licensed contractors, the insurance company may even pay for you to rent temporary housing, buy new cloths, shoes, electronics and toys for the kids. Life will go on as usual and in a short period of time you will be back at home watering your front lawn, while your next door neighbor (who didn’t think he needed earthquake insurance) is still living in a tent in his back yard.<br /> <br /> Obviously there are some exclusions that come with an earthquake policy (check with your insurance agent/broker), and there is the dreaded deductible everyone is scared of, so here is how you deal with the deductible: Get the lowest percentage deductible you can which most likely be 10% and here is how the deductible will work on a $400K dwelling coverage with a 10% deductible your earthquake damage will have to meet or exceed $40K for the insurance to start paying. You only need to meet the 10% deductible on your dwelling coverage in order for the policy to start paying for loss of use, personal property loss and building code upgrades … the policy doesn’t have a separate deductible for each coverage just one based on the dwelling limit, so here is the math for you.<br /> <br /> Dwelling coverage is $450,000 with a 10% deductible; personal property coverage is $50,000 loss of use is $15,000 and building code upgrade coverage is $10,000. Once you meet the deductible limit of $45,000 the policy will start paying up to the following limits:<br /> <br /> Dwelling $450,000 - $45,000 = $405,000<br /> Personal Property $ 50,000<br /> Loss of Use $ 15,000<br /> Building Code upgrade $ 10,000<br /> Total Maximum payout $480,000<br /> <br /> Now does this make things much simpler in the event of an earthquake? Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable attending to your family and getting over a traumatic event such as a major earthquake, without fearing for your families financial future or where you will live if your house is damaged or destroyed due to an earthquake?<br /> <br /> The coverages explained in this article are based on the CEA policy features and coverage limits and exclusion. Coverage may vary with other carriers. Check with a licensed insurance agent/broker for policy limits and exclusion prior to buying this product.</div> urn:uuid:6053ed21-e245-483f-bcdb-8eda34f87e06Most renters think that their landlords’ insurance will cover them in case their property is stolen or destroyed in a fire. WRONG! The only thing your landlord is concerned with is that his/her insurance company repairs damages to the property and co...Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:32:13 -0600<div style="text-align: justify;">Most renters think that their landlords’ insurance will cover them in case their property is stolen or destroyed in a fire. WRONG! The only thing your landlord is concerned with is that his/her insurance company repairs damages to the property and cover the loss of rent due to a covered loss. Your landlord cares about their property and not yours.<br /> <br /> Your landlords’ policy will not replace your cloths, your shoes, your furniture, your laptop, your ipod, your DVD’s … you get the point right?<br /> <br /> Renters insurance policies is what you buy as a tenant to protect your property in case of a covered loss. This is the policy that will replace your personal belongings in case you are burglarized or lose everything in a fire.<br /> <br /> Most Renters policies will put you back $100 - $200 per year and you will probably save twice as much on your auto insurance policy if you buy it from the same insurance company.</div> urn:uuid:644893b7-7f92-4675-accc-70f3d546bcc6Most Condo/Townhome owners are not aware that they do not have homeowner’s insurance coverage. Sure the Homeowners Association (HOA) takes out insurance on the buildings and common areas, but what about the owner’s personal property, liability covera...Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:31:03 -0600<div style="text-align: justify;">Most Condo/Townhome owners are not aware that they do not have homeowner’s insurance coverage. Sure the Homeowners Association (HOA) takes out insurance on the buildings and common areas, but what about the owner’s personal property, liability coverage and the inside of the property? Who is responsible for repairs on the inside like flooring, drywall, paint and carpentry? Also what happens if the Condo/Town-home is burglarized? Who pays for the lost property? What happens if the HOA assesses a huge loss and transfers a portion to each individual owner?<br /> <br /> Most owners never think about these things until it is too late. I remember we had a pretty bad winter in CA back in 2004; there were a lot of windstorms and rain that winter. The HOA I belonged to incurred a big loss. Many of the unit owners needed roof repairs as well as water damage repair on the inside of their Town home. The HOA responded quickly and everyone was taken care of, but the end result was a $4,000 bill to all the owners. My Loss Assessment coverage paid my portion, but many of my neighbors had to dip into their pockets and pay it themselves. A couple of months ago I had a conversation with my next-door neighbor about that and said he was still paying that bill almost four years later.<br /> <br /> A friend of mine (who isn’t insured with me) had a major loss to his town home a couple of years ago. His master bathroom sink is located on the second floor of his property was leaking. While my friend and his wife were away on a four-day weekend getaway. His property is located in an upscale luxury town home community in Southern California.  The insurance broker who sold him his Condo insurance didn’t even bother to ask about the property characteristics. The total building structure on his policy was $6,400.00 and the repairs cost almost $60,000.00. The insurance company paid their share and my friend had to dip into his line of credit to pay the difference.<br /> <br /> HOA Insurance policies are meant to protect the HOA from damages to exteriors and liability coverage on common use areas. Those policies do not provide coverage for you and me as owners when we have a loss inside our unit. A Condo / Town-home Insurance policy is very affordable and can provide great coverage when you need it, so do yourself a big favor and call your insurance agent to ask if they can insure your property. Most insurers will also give you an additional multi-policy discount if you let them insure your Auto and Property. Those discounts usually come out to be anywhere from 10% to 20% of your annual premium.</div>