Your own stretch of ‘highway’

Whether your driveway is brick pavers, a long stretch of gravel or dirt, your driveway is your responsibility — make sure it’s properly maintained so it won’t become a hazard.

Driveways need regular maintenance to stay in proper condition, as uneven pavers, cracks or potholes are common problems. Not only unsightly, they can be hard on your vehicle and, more importantly, present a tripping hazard. If someone trips and falls on your property you could be held legally responsible for their injuries.

What would you do if you were held liable for a mishap that occurred on your property and caused damage or injuries beyond the limits of your policy? Worse yet, what if you were named as the defendant in a lawsuit because of damages or injuries that occurred on your property? While we don’t expect the unthinkable to happen, 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 Umbrella Liability coverage.

Why you need umbrella coverage
Farmers Personal Umbrella Liability insurance supplements the liability coverage you already have with 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
Protect what you have worked to achieve, and your future — you never know when the unexpected may occur. Make sure you’re prepared, and don’t forget your umbrella. Call me for more information.

Your part-time residence needs full-time coverage

Summer is winding down, and many schools are back in session. If you own a second home, you may be getting ready to close it up for the season. Perhaps you’ve decided to rent it out to generate additional income. In any event, your part-time residence should have full-time insurance coverage.

The difference between a primary and vacation home
Many insurers look at seasonal or vacation homes differently than a primary residence. Seasonal homes are often unoccupied for extended periods of time, which can make them a target for thieves or vandals, which can result in a greater risk of damage and loss. This may make your second home more difficult to insure. That’s where I can help. Farmers covers a range of homes, including seasonal/secondary, as well as properties in rural areas, and homes that other carriers reject due to age, condition, value or other considerations. In certain states, Farmers doesn’t even require that your primary residence be insured with us to insure your seasonal or secondary home.

Are you a landlord?
A growing number of homeowners are becoming landlords, whether they relocate for a job, are waiting for market values to increase further before selling or purchase a second home as an investment to rent. Whatever the situation, the type of insurance you need is not the same as your primary residence.
Your property changes classification when you rent it — it becomes a place of business — and typically its insurance requirements change. Your standard homeowners policy may no longer offer appropriate coverage: you would need a landlord insurance policy to help protect you if anyone is hurt on the property.


Call me
Farmers offers property, liability and important optional coverage that lets you customize your policy. You can choose from flexible payment plans and pay online, by mail or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Learn all you can about insurance because the more you know the better you can prepare for the future. Start now: let’s get together so you can be sure you have the coverage you want on your second home.

The Power of a Thank You

When we sat down with our NASCAR driver, Kasey Kahne, prior to the start of the season, we told him about Thank A Million Teachers and our mission — not only to thank one million teachers, but also give $1 million in educational funding. His immediate response was “That’s really cool. I remember a lot of my teachers who had a positive influence on my life and helped me get to where I am today.” That was all we needed to hear from Kasey. From there, we set plans in place — to change our blue Farmers car to a black chalkboard style theme honoring our nation’s educators, who, like our agents, believe in protecting dreams and helping people plan for the future. But we, along with Kasey, wanted to do more than just place a new logo on the car. In March, Kasey flew back to his hometown, Enumclaw, Wash., to personally thank the teachers at his elementary school and share with the students the importance of education and the influential role teachers play in all our lives. Even better, Kasey surprised his former principal, Jake Thomas, and Jake’s daughter, a deserving teacher at the school, with a trip to see him race in May. As it was important to leave the school better than we arrived, Farmers made a donation for a very much desired reading garden. Watch a recap of Kasey’s visit to his school at ThankAMillionTeachers.com. As May is National Teacher Appreciation Month, we sent Kasey on a Thank A Million Teachers tour with school visits in Birmingham, Kansas City and Charlotte. Each time, we surprised a deserving teacher with a VIP race experience and helped the school with some much needed funding. Our last visit in North Carolina was extra special. We honored a civilian teacher in the National Guard — a perfect tie of educational and military support as we headed into the Memorial Day weekend. You could feel the excitement in every school of having a famous NASCAR driver come to visit. Students decorated the hallways, welcoming Kasey and Farmers. And the cheers were deafening as Kasey made his way onto the stage. But while everyone was fixated on listening and watching Kasey tell stories about his memories of school and his current day job of racing fast cars on the track, I chose to look around the gymnasiums. No matter which school we visited, I saw the same thing — a sea of smiles. Teaching is an under-appreciated, under-paid job, that requires patience, dedication and commitment. From visiting these schools and talking with teachers, it is clear that every teacher gains personal satisfaction knowing they’re helping to shape and mold the lives of their students. As one educator said, “Seeing the students blossom is the most rewarding part of my job.” So when I looked around and saw all those teachers with huge smiles, I then realized the true power of a “thank you.” It’s such a simple gesture, but too often goes unsaid. In our fast-paced world where we are consumed with technology, what would happen if we just stopped ... and said “thank you”? And with that, it’s only fitting to end in that fashion. Thank you Kasey for embracing our mission to thank one million teachers. Thank you to everyone who has joined us in thanking more than 600,000 thus far on ThankAMillionTeachers.com. And most importantly, thank you to all the teachers. I admire you all for what you do and how much you give to our children and the future of our nation. Leslie Withoft Director of Sponsorships Farmers Insurance

Farmers Salutes the Military

Military members can enter for a chance to win a VIP trip to the Phoenix race.

As the Fourth of July has come and gone, we at Farmers took a moment to reflect on the true meaning of America’s Independence Day. When we think about our freedom and privileges that come with living in the United States, we understand it does not come without sacrifice. Our rich 86-year history as an American company has shown us the importance of our United States Armed Forces in defending these freedoms.

The Farmers Heritage Center is a great reminder that military support is part of our DNA. Prior to starting Farmers Insurance in 1928, one of our co-founders, John C. “Jack” Tyler, served in World War I. With our company being founded on an engrained culture of supporting our troops, we naturally continue to be proud supporters of our men and women in uniform.

Farmers doesn’t only support our customers and members of our local communities in the U.S. Armed Forces; our Farmers family serves alongside them with many of our current agents, employees, and district managers being current or former military members. We support Farmers’ servicemembers in many ways, whether it be managing agencies on behalf of our deployed agency owners, providing flexible schedules to accommodate military training, or simply sending care packages to our employees and agents deployed abroad. We are also focusing on providing opportunities to those servicemembers making the transition from military to civilian careers, recognizing they have gained valuable skills while serving our country.

A few weekends ago, we were proud to launch our partnership with G.I. Jobs, a leading resource for military to civilian transition. With a special patriotic paint scheme, our NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne raced the No. 5 Farmers Insurance G.I. Jobs Chevrolet SS around the Daytona International Speedway. There are few things more American than NASCAR and it was a special moment to see the car in the red, white and blue of our nation’s flag. During the race weekend, we also announced an exclusive opportunity in recognition of our nation’s strongest leaders.

Through October 8, current and former military members can enter for a chance to win a VIP experience to meet Kasey Kahne and watch him race in Phoenix, Arizona on November 9, just prior to Veterans Day. We will choose five winners, one from each branch of the United States Armed Forces. If you, a family member or friend are eligible, please visit BeAFarmersAgent.com/AmericanHeroes to learn more and enter.

Thank you from The Wertzberger Agency to all our current and former military members for your service. We truly appreciate your sacrifices to protect our country.

Farmers Insurance makes it easy to do the right thing for loved ones

It should be easy to buy life insurance to help protect your loved ones. But for anyone without a Social Security number (SSN), it may get complicated. Farmers wants to help: We’ve removed certain barriers to allow more people to qualify for Farmers EssentialLife^® Simple Whole Life (FESWL)¹ or Farmers Simple Term Life² insurance.
Farmers Life^® now accepts applications for term and permanent life insurance from U.S. residents who are Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) holders. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is a tax ID issued by the IRS to individuals who have U.S. income but are not eligible for a Social Security number (SSN). People who have ITINs and U.S. residency may now be eligible for certain products. If you’re already a Farmers customer, you don’t even have to provide proof of residency. Not a Farmers customer yet? Just verify that you’ve been a U.S. resident for at least six months.

Farmers knows that protecting loved ones is important to everyone, and we want to help you make sure your loved ones can maintain their lifestyle if something happens to you. A Farmers life insurance policy can help you do that. Call The Wertzberger Agency today for more information about helping protect your family at 913-383-3276

¹ Policy form 2008-352
² Policy form 2005-261 or applicable state variation

Life insurance issued by Farmers New World Life Insurance Company, 3003 77th Ave. SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040. Products and features may not be available in all states and may vary by state.

Summer safety: Lightning facts and safety tips

Each year, lightning causes dozens of deaths, thousands of fires, and billions of dollars in property damage.¹ It’s smart to learn as much as you can about lightning so you can take steps to protect yourself, your loved ones and your property against one of nature’s most dangerous phenomena.
Most lightning deaths and injuries in the United States occur during the summer months, when lightning strikes are more frequent and outdoor activities are at their peak², so when enjoying outdoor activities it’s important to pay attention to the weather and take appropriate actions in a timely manner when thunderstorms approach.
Did you know that:

• When it comes to lightning, rubber shoes do nothing to protect you?
• In the home, talking on a wired landline telephone is the leading cause of lightning injuries? Cordless phones are safe to use.
• You should not seek shelter in a lightning storm under a tall tree? That’s one of the most dangerous places to be.

Flash facts
Here are some facts about lightning excerpted from National Geographic News, Flash Facts About Lightning³:

• Lightning is a giant discharge of electricity accompanied by a brilliant flash of light and a loud crack of thunder. The spark can reach over five miles, raise the temperature of the air by as much as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit and contain a hundred million electrical volts.
• The Fourth of July is historically one of the most deadly times of the year for lightning in the U.S. In summer, especially on a holiday, more people are on the beach, golf course, mountains, or ball fields. Outdoor chores such as lawn mowing or house painting are at their peak.
• If you can hear thunder, you can be struck by lightning — seek shelter.
• Use the 30-30 rule. When you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If it’s 30 seconds or less, you are within six miles of the storm and should seek shelter immediately.
• Don’t be fooled by sunshine or blue sky! Wait at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before leaving shelter. 
• Swimming is particularly dangerous. Water conducts electricity and swimmers protrude from the water, offering a potential channel for electrical discharge.
• At home, avoid contact with anything that conducts electricity:
• Stay away from windows and doors
• Don’t use wired landline telephones
• Don’t lie on a concrete floor (it likely contains a wire mesh)
• Avoid contact with concrete walls (they may contain metal reinforcing bars)
• Avoid washers and dryers
• Unplug electronic equipment
• Don’t wash dishes or your hands
• Don’t shower, bathe or do laundry
• Always avoid being the highest object or taking shelter near or under the highest object, including tall trees and umbrellas. Lightning is “lazy,” and usually takes the shortest path to earth, striking the tallest object. Don’t let that be you.
• If someone is struck by lightning, call 911 immediately. Lightning often causes cardiac arrest. Check for respiration and a heartbeat. If the victim isn’t breathing and doesn’t have a heartbeat, immediately begin CPR and continue until emergency medical help arrives.

Flash fiction
Here are some misconceptions about lightning excerpted from National Geographic News, Flash Facts About Lightning³:

• Surge protectors offer protection against direct lightning strikes. False. They don’t! Unplug equipment such as computers and televisions.
• Don’t touch a lightning victim — you could get electrocuted. False. People who’ve been electrocuted don’t retain the charge and are not “electrified.” It’s safe to help them.
• Rubber shoes provide meaningful protection from lightning. False. They don’t.
• Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. False. It can — and often does. Tall buildings and monuments are frequently hit by lightning. 

If the worst occurs
While your chances of being struck by lightning are rare, it does happen. Should the worst happen to you, would your family be able to maintain their standard of living? Make sure the answer is yes. Whether you’re just getting started with life insurance or have had insurance for years, there’s a lot to learn. I want to help you understand the basics and feel confident that you’re making informed choices. It’s worth a conversation — let’s get started. Call The Wertzberger Agency today at 913-383-3276

¹http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lls/nlsi_annual_usa_losses.htm

²http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov
³http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0623_040623_lightningfacts.html

Life insurance issued by Farmers New World Life Insurance Company, 3003 77th Ave. SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040

6 helpful tips to make your yard safer for your family, pets and visitors

During warmer months, many families spend time outdoors with their pets. You may think your dog is not aggressive, but even the sweetest dog may bite if provoked. With their natural curiosity and exuberant energy, children often are the most likely to provoke a dog — usually unintentionally. That’s probably why children make up more than 60 percent of the half- to one-million dog bite victims reported annually in the United States.¹ Many dog bites are preventable, however. Here are some tips to help keep both people and pets safer:

• Carefully consider your pet selection — Your veterinarian can help — they can be a great source of information about breed behavior and suitability. Remember to consider who visits you as well as who lives in your household. If you have grandchildren, nieces, nephews or friends with children, you’ll probably want a dog with a gentle disposition.  
• Make sure your pet is socialized — Expose your puppy or adopted dog to a variety of situations as early as possible. Try to do this a little at a time, under controlled circumstances. Continue these short interactions until your dog appears comfortable around children, adults and other animals.
• Spay/neuter your pet — Neutered dogs are less aggressive and less likely to bite.
• Train your dog — Teaching your dog basic commands such as “sit” or “stay” helps develop obedience and builds trust. 
• Keep your dog healthy — Have your dog vaccinated against rabies and preventable infectious diseases, and see your vet on a regular basis.
• Be alert — Be aware of your dog and watch for signs they may be uncomfortable or feel threatened.

Preventing Dog Bites Learn how to play it safe — teach young children these 10 basic dog safety rules:¹
Do’s

1. Do remain motionless when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
2. Do roll into a ball and lie still if knocked over by a dog.
3. Do report stray dogs to an adult immediately.
4. Do report a dog bite to an adult immediately. 

Don’ts

1. Don’t approach an unfamiliar dog.
2. Don’t run from a dog and don’t scream.
3. Don’t play with a dog unless given permission and supervised by an adult.
4. Don’t make or maintain direct eye contact with a dog.
5. Don’t disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.
6. Don’t pet a dog without first allowing it to see and sniff you.

Homeowners insurance
Call The Wertzberger Agency at 913-383-3276 and we’ll be glad to work with you so you can be sure you have the coverage you want. Be proactive — learn more about insurance so you can make informed decisions. Let’s have a conversation.