Pet insurance

Did you know that 1 in 3 pets will need unexpected veterinary care this year, or that 4 out of 5 pets will experience a medical emergency in their lifetime? No one likes to think of their pet getting sick, but it unfortunately happens. And should your pet need veterinary care, the expenses can quickly add up. To safeguard against big vet bills, you need pet insurance. Purchasing pet insurance means you’ll have financial protection should your pet suffer an illness or injury, and routine care coverage is available as well.

To help customers get insurance for their pets, Farmers teamed up with one of the most reputable Pet Insurance brands, Pets Best. Purchasing an insurance plan from Pets Best is a great way to ensure you can afford the best veterinary care when your pet needs it. With Pets Best coverage you can follow your veterinarian’s recommended course of treatment, so if your pet becomes ill or is injured, you can take them to a licensed veterinarian of your choice. Every customer receives a 5% discount on Pet Insurance via Farmers.com.

Why you should choose Pets BestPets Best insurance covers routine medical checkups and expenses related to emergency visits, behavioral conditions, surgeries, hereditary conditions, international travel and more.
Some additional reasons to choose Pets Best include:

• The ability to keep your current vet, or visit any licensed veterinarian worldwide
• No examinations or vaccinations required to enroll
• 100% reimbursement and $0 deductibles are available
• Fast claims processing — most claims processed in 5 days
• Claim pre-approval service with no upper age limits
• BestWellness™ Routine Care Coverage available

What is BestWellness™ Routine Care Coverage?BestWellness Routine Care Coverage lets you enhance your pet insurance plan with our wellness option. This option helps pay for your pet’s regular veterinary visits, such as routine checkups, dental cleanings and blood work, which may help to identify and treat sickness earlier, and provide a longer, happier life for your pet. This coverage is an excellent way to budget for veterinary expenses, especially if you have a kitten or puppy.

Make the right choice
Farmers makes choosing the right plan for your pet an easy decision. Annual medical costs for a pet range between $500 to $1,000, and can dramatically increase to $8,000 or more for severe illnesses. A Pets Best plan through Farmers starts at just $19 a month, and no exam is required to get started with coverage. Once your pet is covered you can relax, knowing you’ll have help with any future vet bills you may face. Get started today — it could be one of the best decisions you make for you and your pet.

Pet insurance coverage offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company, a Delaware insurance company. Independence American Insurance Company is a member of The IHC Group, an organization of insurance carriers and marketing and administrative affiliates that has been providing life, health, disability, medical stop-loss, and specialty insurance solutions to groups and individuals for over 30 years. For information on The IHC Group, visit: www.ihcgroup.com. Request a custom free quote. Additional insurance services administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC are underwritten by Prime Insurance Company. Each insurer has sole financial responsibility for its own products.

Love and life lessons learned the hard way

Life insurance is love insurance, which makes February — the month of love — the time to “Insure Your Love.ˮ¹

The death of a spouse often ushers in some harsh economic realities for the survivor. Without life insurance or other assets, many face a sharp drop in income. For some, it can be the beginning of a slide into poverty. Worse yet, older women are more vulnerable to poverty than men. Nearly a third of single women over age 75 are left with incomes of less than $890 a month.²

The two sides of Social Security
Although many widows may be hit especially hard financially by the loss of a spouse, Social Security benefits can prove to be a life saver. For example:

• If you’re a widow and your deceased spouse is eligible for Social Security, you may be eligible to receive full benefits at your full retirement age or reduced benefits as early as age 60.³
• If you and your deceased spouse have children under age 16 you may be eligible for survivor’s benefits payable until they reach the age of 18.³ Something to note: Once your dependent children reach age 18, there are no Social Security survivor benefits available until you are age 60 or eligible for your own Social Security retirement, the earliest at age 62.³

Bottom line: What this means is that there may be a blackout period that could run for many years during which a widow is not eligible for any Social Security benefits. That’s the reason why many struggle financially and why some end up in poverty. It doesn’t have to be this way, however.

The power of life insurance
People buy life insurance because they love someone — they want to protect them financially and have a positive effect on their lives. Once families know about their vulnerability to these risks they can do something about it, and there’s no better time to act than now.

Let’s get together. I can help you begin to assess your needs so you can determine how much and what kind of coverage is appropriate for you and your loved ones. Life can change in the blink of an eye — what will be your legacy?

¹http://www.lifehappens.org/press-releases/february-marks-the-life-foundations-annual-insure-your-love-awareness-campaign/
²http://www.wiserwomen.org/index.php?id=274&page=Widowhood:_Why_Women_Need_to_Talk_About_This_Issue
³http://www.ssa.gov/survivorplan/survivorchartred.htm

Chances are there’s an app for that … and that, and that …

Here are some of our favorites.

Think Dirty
Want to know about the potentially toxic ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products? The Think Dirty^® app is the easiest way to find out. Just scan the barcode and the app gives you information about the product and “shop cleaner options.”
iPhone: free; Android: closed beta (by invite)

Mailbox
This app helps you archive, trash or postpone emails with a quick swipe to the left or right. It shows complete conversations with a cool interface that looks a lot like a chat. It’s a whole new inbox.
Free: available for OSX, iPhone, iPad, Android

Check
Recently updated, this app keeps track of all your bills and monitors your bank and credit card accounts. Most importantly, it tells you when there’s a mismatch between the two — when you’re about to run short on funds — so you can fix the problem. No more overdrafts and late fees.
Free for Android and iPhone.

Trello
This app allows you to create boards for different projects and separate shareable lists within them. Each task goes on a separate card. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details and everything you do is synced and saved instantly to the cloud so that all your devices are always up to date.
Trello is free for Android phones and tablets, iPhone and iPad, Kindle Fire, and Windows 8.

Dark Sky
A weather app with amazing accuracy, Dark Sky uses state-of-the art technology to predict when — down to the minute — it will rain or snow at your exact location. It informs you with messages like “Light rain starting in 22 minutes,” that are accompanied by beautiful weather visualizations.
Designed for iPhone and iPad: $3.99


Farmers’ mobile app
Finally, have you checked out iFarmers for iPhone and Android? With the latest version you can manage your policies, contact Farmers award-winning claim service 24/7, find a restaurant, gas station, other nearby services, and more. Download the mobile app today to take advantage of these great features. You can also use the app to contact your favorite  Farmers Agency; The Wertzberger Agency. Or, feel free to find us at www.thewertzbergeragency.com or call 913-383-3276.

Keep your pets safe in a disaster: PREPARE

Hurricanes … floods … wildfires … mudslides … the evening news reminds us frequently of the possibility of disaster. You may have a plan for your family in the event of a disaster, but do you have one for your pets? If not, you need to develop one. Our pets depend on us, so PREPARE:¹

• Plan — Plan for two scenarios: one if you are confined to your home for several days and another if you and your pet have to evacuate. Plans should provide for necessary supplies, including food and medications, the safest parts of your home, and escape routes should you need to evacuate.
• Research — Map out alternative evacuation routes in case one or more are impassable. Practice a “dry run” for each route so that you will be able to do it quickly should a disaster occur.
• Equip — Make sure your home and vehicle are stocked with emergency supplies and provisions (see below). Don’t forget permanent identification such as a microchip for pets. Microchipping is one of the best ways to ensure that you and your pets are reunited if you are separated. Be sure to keep the microchip registration up-to-date, and include at least one emergency number of a friend or relative who resides out of your immediate area.
• Practice — Include your pets in practice drills for each type of emergency. Whether “in home” or “on the road,” make it a game for your pets. They, and you, will be more at ease if disaster strikes.
• Add — Subtract and change supplies periodically, particularly medications.
• Review — Your plans regularly. “Safe havens” may change or cease to exist. If friends have volunteered to help, make sure those offers are still viable. Your plans and preparation should be appropriate for various seasons.
• Establish — Establishing an ongoing relationship with local authorities, such as offices of emergency management (OEMs) and dog clubs in your area, may provide a critical support network in challenging times.

Prepare an emergency kit for each animal²
Stock up on the items you may need during a disaster now so you’re not caught unprepared. Below are basic items you should include in your pets’ disaster kits. Store your disaster kit supplies in an easy-to-grab container.

• One-week supply of food. Store it in a water-tight container and rotate it every three months to keep it fresh. If you use canned food, include a manual can opener.
• One-week supply of fresh water. If officials declare your household water unfit to drink, it’s also unsafe for your pets. Follow American Red Cross³ guidelines for storing emergency water for your family and your pets.
• Medication. If your animal takes medication, a replacement supply may not be easily available following a disaster.
• Copies of vaccination records. Take a photo of records and store in your smartphone.
• Photographs of you with your pets to prove ownership.
• Photographs of your pets in case you need to make “lost pet” fliers.
• Pet first aid kit.
• Carrier or leash for each animal.

Planning ahead is key
Make sure your pets are protected when disaster strikes. For more information visit RedRover.org. Download the Animal Disaster Preparedness checklist.

¹http://www.akc.org/news/disaster_preparedness/be_proactive_prepare.cfm
²http://www.redrover.org/pet-disaster-preparedness
³https://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4440181_Food_and_Water-English.revised_7-09.pdf

5 insurance “dont's” that could cost you

While it’s attractive to look for ways to lower insurance costs, it’s important to make sure you don’t leave yourself vulnerable in the event of a disaster. Here are some pitfalls to avoid:

1. Don’t insure your home for its real estate value. After a covered total loss, rebuilding your house is your first priority. Many people base coverage on the price they paid for their home or its current market value, instead of considering what a rebuild would actually cost. It’s essential to consider rebuilding costs when selecting your homeowners coverage limits. Make sure you have enough coverage to completely rebuild your home and replace your belongings.
2. Don’t select insurance based on cost alone. It’s important to choose a company that not only offers competitive prices, but also one that is financially sound and provides good customer service. The Farmers Insurance Group is one of the country’s largest insurers of vehicles, homes and small businesses; we also provide a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Our award-winning Claim Department is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
3. Don’t drop your sewer/water backup insurance. Just a few inches of water can cause thousands of dollars in damage, and most homeowners policies don’t cover backup damage unless endorsed to do so. Every home with a basement is at risk of a backup. Work with me to cover your property for loss. 
4. Don’t settle for legally required minimum liability coverage for your vehicle. Many simply choose insurance based on cost, and this could be a big mistake. For example, if you are sued, the costs could quickly exceed your coverage and you’d have to pay out-of-pocket because the minimum is unlikely to cover it. To guard against this, the insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident (if not more).¹ 
5. Don’t forget to buy renters insurance. Your landlord’s policy covers only the building; you need a renters insurance policy to cover your possessions and additional living expenses if you have to move out due to a covered loss, such as a fire. Renters insurance provides liability coverage in the event someone is injured in your home and you’re found liable for the injuries as a result of negligence. 

The right balance
Insurance doesn’t have to be a guessing game. I can answer your questions and provide information so you can make sure you have the coverage you want. There’s no need to find yourself underinsured when a disaster occurs. Call me today at 913-383-3276 to get started or find us at www.thewertzbergeragency.com

¹http://www.iii.org