Vermost Insurance - October 2020

Vermost Insurance - October 2020

Protection Team News

LOCAL UPDATES: Hurricane and Sports Season

VOL 12, ISSUE 9

First, a huge thank-you to all who sent me notes and comments on our newsletter changes. I was very happy to hear that you like the changes and received your copy in the mail. This means that the United States Postal Service is still doing their job, regardless of what the media is saying. I can assure you that we will do our best to keep the newsletter up to the highest standards we have set for ourselves and that you deserve. We have made it to the halfway point in this year’s hurricane season. Boy, has it been a doozy! It seems records are being set left and right for the earliest number of storms each and every storm. The good thing is that we haven’t had a direct hit yet, but other parts of the country haven’t been as lucky. We are not out of the woods yet, and it only takes one to ruin our year. Please stay ready and prepared — just in case. Just because we have avoided a direct hit from a storm doesn’t mean we haven’t had a hit to our wallets from increases in property insurance rates. I have seen some significant rate increases as high as 40%. I don’t want to think what the increases might be next year if we do get a direct hit this year. Not only are we seeing premium increases, but we are also seeing non-renewals by insurance companies to reduce exposure, as well as new business restrictions being placed on us. Let the fun times begin … Some good news is that our local professional sports teams are doing very well right now. The Rays are leading the American League East division, despite the fact they have lost many of their starting and relief pitchers to injury. They just keep calling up the next pitcher, and they are responding well to their opportunity. That brings me to the Lightning and their run at the Stanley

Local Updates Page 1

When ‘Star Wars’ Invaded Halloween Why You Need Final Expense Insurance

Did You Know ... Page 2

How to Hang Wall Decor Perfectly Page 3 Inspiring Happiness With Our 2020 Referral Wacky October Holidays Page 5 August Referral Rewards and Puzzle Winner! Page 6 Program Page 4

Cup. That five-overtime win was an amazing game to watch, albeit almost three complete hockey games in one night. Let’s hope the magic continues in Canada and that next month, we are celebrating their victorious run. Hopefully Tom Brady’s debut with the Buccaneers will be a huge win for the team and the local area. As I said, we have many good things to be thankful for right now in the Tampa Bay area. Until next month, –Darren

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Toll free (800) 828-2226 Fax (727) 577-4991

www.vermost.com [email protected]

HAVE YOU HEARD OF FINAL EXPENSE INSURANCE? It Gives Your Loved Ones Peace of Mind M ost people are familiar with life insurance and how it works: You pay a monthly premium for coverage so that when you die, your beneficiaries are left with policy payouts that help to replace the income they’d otherwise lose from your passing. Even though they can use life insurance to pay for funeral and other final expenses, it’s rarely ideal to do so. That’s because the costs of these expenses have become so high that they can be a massive financial burden during an already difficult time. The National Funeral Directors Association has revealed that the average funeral costs $7,360! That’s a lot of money to ask your family to figure out how to pay as they work their way through the grief of losing you. This is when final expense insurance comes in. Proactively making arrangements for final expenses can make it simple and easy for your family to access the funds they need, when they need them.

THE SPOOKY ‘STAR WARS’ SHORTAGE OF 1977

A long time ago … in October of 1977 to be exact, Halloween was fast approaching and many parents faced a major dilemma. That year, kids didn’t want to go trick-or-treating dressed as vampires, witches, or ghosts. The classic costumes simply wouldn’t do. That Halloween, almost every child in the United States wanted to dress as their favorite character from the new hit movie, “Star Wars.” Today, you can walk into a Halloween City on Oct. 30 and easily pick up a costume for Rey, Darth Vader, or Princess Leia. But in 1977, less than five months after the release of the first movie in the popular franchise, getting your hands on “Star Wars” merchandise was a bit more difficult. Ben Cooper, a costume company in Brooklyn, had the foresight to license “Star Wars” for costumes right after the movie came out. Unfortunately, they didn’t foresee how great the demand for these costumes would be. Retailers across the country were selling out of “Star Wars” costumes as fast as they came in. Some stores reported selling more “Star Wars” costumes than pumpkins. Kids who got their hands on an authentic Han Solo or C-3PO costume were considered lucky. But kids who arrived at the store to find the costume shelves empty didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, they went and found some brown towels to make their own Chewbacca costumes. In the current age of cosplay, homemade costumes based on movie characters are commonplace, but in 1977, this was uncharted territory. Kids searched for white dresses to be Princess Leia and bathrobes they could cut short to mimic Luke Skywalker. Moms everywhere broke out their sewing machines and created costumes using only action figures for reference. It was grueling work, but it showed how much kids wanted to spend Halloween in a galaxy far, far away. The “Star Wars” costume shortage marked a new era for Halloween — one where making your own costume was just as cool, if not better, than buying it.

Vermost Insurance NOW has a relationship with Chuck Chucri, who offers Financial

Planning & Investment Advisory Services

Did You Know ...

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1200 Belcher Rd. S. Suite 1

Largo, FL 33771-3315

Phone: (727) 748-2886

Final expense insurance is more affordable than life insurance, no medical exams are required to qualify, and premiums will not increase over time. It can also provide funds to your family within 48 hours of your passing, whereas traditional life insurance can take much longer to pay out. This type of large, quick turnaround can be critical for allowing your family to keep up with things like mortgage payments and day-to-day living expenses. For a long time, final expense insurance has been considered a luxury by many, but with the ever-rising costs of funeral and burial expenses, this type of insurance is quickly becoming a necessity. Vermost Insurance Agency can help you decide on a final expense insurance plan that’s right for you, so you can leave your loved ones with peace of mind. Call us today so we can get started.

Don’t Get Hung Up on Hanging Your Decor

10 Tips for Achieving the Perfect Look

If your living space harkens back to your college days of naked walls or too many movie posters, then it’s time to up your decor game. One of the best ways to polish a room and bring everything together is by hanging items on your walls. But if you’re not sure how to go about it, you can end up with multiple holes, peeling paint, or potentially crooked pieces that you’re not even sure look quite right. Instead, follow these 10 steps to achieve the aesthetic you want. 1. Lay your pieces on the floor and play with their arrangement. You’ll get exactly what you want without having to create more than one hole in the wall per piece. 2. To fill a horizontal space, hang two vertical pieces next to each other. To fill a vertical space, hang one horizontal piece on top of another. 3. Hang your pieces at eye level, around 55–60 inches from the floor. If you have high ceilings, you can increase that height by a few inches. 4. If you’re hanging something above a piece of furniture, put it about 4–6 inches above the furniture and choose pieces that are about two-thirds its width. 5. If you have a piece that’s loud or eccentric, put it front and center! Making it a focal point instead of hiding it in a corner makes it feel intentional instead of awkward. 6. Even if you’re creating a gallery wall, aim to display no more than five pieces to avoid overwhelming or cluttering the space. 7. When hanging multiple pieces, space them 2–3 inches from one another. The goal is to make the pieces feel connected, not like they’re floating around separately. 8. Align pieces that aren’t the same size by their center point, not by the top or bottom of their frames. 9. If it’s safe to do so, hang each item by just one nail. This makes it much easier to get the piece level. 10. Hammer your nail into the wall at an angle, not straight in. The nail gets a more secure grip this way. When it comes to actually choosing your pieces, find what speaks to you or represents who you are. Decor can be a great conversation piece, and it's essential to the ambiance of your home.

CALL FOR DETAILS OR TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY (727) 748-2886 Chuck Chucri, CFP® , CLU®, ChFC®, FLMI Financial Planner The Prudential Insurance Company of America Prudential.com/advisor/chuck-chucri Chuck Chucri offers financial planning and investment advisory services through Pruco Securities, LLC (Pruco), doing business as Prudential Financial Planning Services (PFPS), pursuant to separate client agreement. He offers insurance and securities products and services as a registered representative of Pruco and an agent of issuing insurance companies. (800) 778-2255 Vermont Insurance is an independent organization and is not an affiliate of Prudential Financial.

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Toll free (800) 828-2226

Fax (727) 577-4991

www.vermost.com

[email protected]

1200 Belcher Rd. S. Suite 1 Phone: (727) 748-2886 1200 Belcher Rd. S. Suite 1 ● Largo, FL 33771-3315 ● Phone: (727) 748-2886 Largo, FL 33771-3315

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WACKY OCTOBER HOLIDAYS

• Oct. 2: World Smile Day • Oct. 5: Amazon Prime Day • Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day • Oct. 12: National Savings Day • Oct. 15: National “I Love Lucy” Day • Oct. 21: National Reptile Awareness Day

• Oct. 25: International Artist’s Day • Oct. 26: National Pumpkin Day • Oct. 30: National Candy Corn Day

WORD SEARCH

ROASTED ROSEMARY BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND POTATOES

If you’re having trouble getting the kids to eat Brussels sprouts, try this delicious vegan recipe as a side dish. Every vegetable tastes better roasted!

• 1 3/4 lbs fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise • 3 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced Ingredients Directions

• 4 tsp olive oil • 1 1/2 tsp sugar • 1 tsp sea salt • 1/4 tsp pepper

Apples Calendula Candy Halloween

Opal Popcorn Scary Scream

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss until the Brussels sprouts and fingerlings are evenly coated with oil and seasonings. 3. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet, then bake 35–38 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add more salt and pepper as desired, then serve!

Horror Masks

Treat Trick

Inspired by “The Oh She Glows Cookbook”

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Toll free (800) 828-2226

Fax (727) 577-4991

www.vermost.com

[email protected]

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

1200 Belcher Road South Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771 www.vermost.com (727) 748-2886

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

You Make Us Happy

We insure more than just cars & homes. Here's a list of some of our lines of protection:

Thank you for recently referring your friends, family, and coworkers to our agency. With your help, ourVermost Insurance family keeps growing! We hope our referral program makes you happy too! People who referred clients to us in August: Mary Stalzer Tom Robinson Ryan Nowakowski c/o Silent Sports Outfitters Pam Calixto Rudy Kazmiersky Elif Fitzgerald

› Flood › General Liability › Health › Home › I.D. Theft › Life › Mobile Home › Motorcycle/Jet Ski › Notary Public

› Antique Vehicles › Annuities › Auto › Boat/RV › Bonds › Builders Risk › Commercial Auto › Commercial Property › Condo › Dental › Disability › Employee Benefits

› Umbrella › Workers'

August Puzzle Winner: Michael Reichold

Compensation

... and more!

August Referral Winner: Elif Fitzgerald

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1200 Belcher Rd. S. Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771-3315

Phone: (727) 748-2886