Vermost Insurance Agency - August 2021

Vermost Insurance Agency - August 2021

Protection Team News

THE WINNING TEAM AND INSURANCE BILLS

VOL 13, ISSUE 7

How about those Tampa Bay Lightning! They were able to win the Stanley Cup again. Champa Bay is still the Sports Capital at this time. Can the Bucs do it back to back like the Lightning? We will find out, as training camp is about to get started for them.

been placed under administrative supervision and within 90 days will be shut down. This all means no relief in the near future, and citizens will be getting more policies again. Stay tuned for more exciting times for the insurance industry. As we inch closer to the prime

The Winning Team and Insurance Bills Page 1 Want to Save on Your Next Vacation? Page 2 How to Protect Your Family From the Financial Cost of Floods Page 2 Did You Know ... Page 2 Why You Should Get Your Mind Into the Gutter Page 3 Check Out Our Referral Program! Page 4 Wacky August Holidays Page 5

My family and I were very fortunate to be able to take in game four of the Stanley Cup series watch party at Amalie Arena. The only thing missing was the team! Let me tell you, the arena sold out and became very loud. Now that the team has the trophy again, we have to savor this moment, as a number of the players will not be returning next season due to the expansion draft as well as the salary cap issues. But hey, we can say we won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years. Not many other teams can say that …

time of hurricane season, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has recently announced that they’ll roll out a new rating system that will totally change the way flood insurance is calculated by the federal government. From the little bit of information that has been released, I don’t think too many individual homeowners will be very happy with the change. I am also hearing a little rumble that members of Congress are trying to postpone the start of this new plan for a couple years. Again,

Darren with Ainsley enjoying Game 4 of the Stanley Cup!

Last month, I told you about the two insurance bills that had been passed by the legislature and would be heading to the governor’s desk for his decision. Well, it was a split decision. Governor DeSantis signed the homeowners’ bill but vetoed the auto insurance reform bill. There is a chance that in the next legislative session, they could pass this auto insurance bill again and override his veto, but only time will tell. Don’t get your hopes up too high that your homeowners’ price is going down any time soon. A judge has already ruled one part of the bill as unconstitutional. One of the three insurance companies who were allowed to drop some of their policies back in June has now

we will need to take a wait and see approach. As soon as we get more details, I will let you know. I will close with a few words about our Tampa Bay Rays and their great first half of the season. Hopefully, they can stay healthy and have another great run during the second half of the season. They better or local sports fans will soon be switching to college football and the NFL. Go Rays! Until next month, –Darren

Word Search Page 5

Easy Foil-Grilled Sausage and Vegetables Page 5 June Referral Rewards and Puzzle Winner! Page 6

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

www.vermost.com [email protected]

ARE YOU PROTECTED FROM FLOODS? asd Buy Flood Insurance Now to Save Money Later Here in Florida, tidal flooding has increased by a whopping 352% since 2000, and last year, the First Street Foundation released a model showing Tampa is the “second most exposed city in the state” with more than 43,000 properties at risk of flooding in a 100-year storm. Yikes! (Note: A 100-year storm is NOT a storm that happens once every 100 years. It’s a storm that has a 1% chance of occurring at a particular location in a particular year. This means you can get stuck in 100-year storms multiple years in a row.) Considering the high risk of flooding in our area, you’d think Florida homeowners insurance would cover flood damage, but it doesn’t. Homeowners have to buy flood insurance separately. This coverage is extremely important because your policy will reimburse you for flood damage and the labor to sandbag your home, move furniture, and remove debris. If you live in a 100-year-floodplain, then you likely already have flood insurance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires homeowners in those high-risk areas to

5 TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT AFFORDABLE GETAWAY Are you excited to explore the world again? Or maybe you've just gotten back from your latest vacation! In either case, the economic challenges of the pandemic might require travelers to plan their trips a little smarter. Here are five tricks to do just that. 1. Consider your budget while choosing your destination. Any destination heavily impacted by tourists is going to be more expensive to visit. So, consider taking a tour through various French countryside towns instead of Paris! Not only could it be more culturally immersing, but it may even be more relaxing and less stressful than visiting a dense area. 2. Sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights. One of the most important parts of booking an affordable vacation is booking it at the right time. Scott’s Cheap Flights will track all the cheapest flights at an airport of your choice — you’ll get over 50%–75% savings on highly rated airlines. This will get you stress- free travel for a much lower price! 3. Travel in a group. If you travel with friends, your expenses become a lot more manageable. Let’s say you and a partner travel with two other couples — renting a swanky cabin at $200 a night will only cost around $33 per person. Plus, you will

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

create some amazing memories together! 4. Plan your meal budget ahead of time.

Looking forward to eating certain dishes? Find local menus and prices to ensure you don’t spend more than you planned. If you want an authentic and homestyle culinary experience, consider signing up for a peer-to- peer dining experience through Traveling Spoon or Bon

Appetour, which is tax-free as well! 5. Consider volunteering for vacation.

Want to go on a self-discovery trip? Why not cut your expenses in half by volunteering? For example, Habitat for Humanity offers a nine-day Mexico trip for $1,200 with lodging, food, and activities included. You’ll get to build structures and create something permanent for the local community. Traveling on a dime is no sweat with the right tools. Best of luck, traveler!

Planning & Investment

Did You Know ...

Advisory Services.

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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1

Largo, FL 33771-3315 Phone: (727) 748-2886

purchase flood insurance before they qualify for a mortgage. But if you live in a less risky place, flood insurance is optional — even though you may own one of the 43,000 properties in Tampa that are at risk. How is that possible? Well, the First Street Foundation also found that FEMA’s current maps of high-risk homes may be out of date. In its report, the nonprofit argues that FEMA missed about 114,000 Florida properties that are at risk of flooding in a 100-year storm. Without flood insurance, your wallet is vulnerable to the potentially sky-high cost of flood damage. According to FEMA, a single inch of water can wreak $25,000 worth of havoc in your house! (To find out how much flood damage would cost you specifically, visit FloodSmart.gov/ CostofFlooding to take FEMA’s quiz.) Fortunately, flood insurance will protect you from those costs, and our team here at Vermost offers free, comparative quotes on flood insurance so that you can choose the best rate and coverage for you. To request a quote today, visit Vermost.com and click “Get a Quote.”

5 Tips to Make Gutter Cleaning Hassle-Free Get Your Mind Into the Gutter No homeowner likes cleaning their gutters. It’s a universal truth, but unfortunately the smelly, messy job has to be done, and this is the month to do it! Why clean your gutters? If you don’t clean your gutters regularly, they’ll be too full of leaves and debris to ferry rainwater properly. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it can have disastrous consequences. Water can pool on your roof and cause a leak, seep into your basement, act as a breeding ground for insects, or even damage your foundation if it collects near the walls of your home and then freezes. Yikes! Make the messy job easy! According to the experts at Realtor.com, August is a prime time to clean out your gutters before late-summer storms hit. Luckily, there are dozens of ways to make the nasty job easier. Here are five of our favorites. 1. Invest in a gutter scoop. Gutter scoops are designed specifically for cleaning out gutters, and prices for them start at less than $3.50 at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Amazon. Buying one will save you from digging through the gutter goop by hand! In a pinch, you can also use a pet food scoop or plastic cup. 2. Dress for the mess . To protect yourself from dirt and bacteria, wear thick suede-type gloves, rubber-soled shoes, and protective glasses or goggles. 3. Let your hose do the work. As an alternative to the gutter scoop, you can attach a spray nozzle to your hose and blast the leaves out of the gutter! This method uses a lot of water, but it’s an easy (and clean) strategy. 4. Try gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal grates that you can snap onto the tops of your gutters. They let water through, but keep leaves and debris out. Outfitting your entire house with guards can get pricey, but they save you hassle come cleaning time. 5. When in doubt, hire it out. Of course, the best way to make gutter cleaning easier is to pay someone else to do it! Hiring an expert will keep you out of the muck and guarantee great results.

CALL FOR DETAILS OR TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY (727) 748-2886 Chuck Chucri, CFP® , CLU®, ChFC®, FLMI Financial Planner

Prudential Advisors Prudential.com/advisor/chuck-chucri

Our financial advisors offer investment advice, and some may offer financial planning. Our financial advisors and financial planners offer financial planning and/or investment advice through Pruco Securities, LLC (Pruco), under the marketing name Prudential Financial Planning Services (PFPS). A financial advisor or financial planner offers securities, products, and services as a registered representative of Pruco and offers insurance products as an agent of issuing insurance companies. (800) 778-2255 Vermost 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]

2021

INSPIRING HAPPINESS!

2020 REFERRAL WINNER!

We want to thank everyone who referred their friends, family, and coworkers to Vermost Insurance throughout 2020. When you refer someone to us, you receive rewards for each referral and are entered into monthly and annual drawings for additional, even bigger prizes. Your referrals mean a lot to us, and we want to reward you for helping us grow our Vermost Insurance family. The annual grand prize winners of our 2020 referral program are Diane and Joseph Goulah. They received a 55-inch 4K TV plus a $250 donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, their charity of choice. If you want a shot at next year’s prize, keep sending referrals our way. Your referrals make us happy, and we hope our referral program makes you happy, too!

Diane and Joseph Goulah are our 2020 referral winners of the 55-inch 4K TV, plus a $250 donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, their charity of choice.

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

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Wacky August Holidays

• Spider-Man Day: Aug. 1 • National Ice Cream Sandwich Day: Aug. 2 • National Underwear Day: Aug. 5 • Cycle to Work Day: Aug. 6 • National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day: Aug. 8

• National Spoil Your Dog Day: Aug. 10 • National Tell a Joke Day: Aug. 16 • Pluto Demoted Day: Aug. 24 • National Bow Tie Day: Aug. 28 • Frankenstein Day: Aug. 30

WORD SEARCH

EASY FOIL-GRILLED SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLES

Inspired by NutmegNanny.com

Dinner is ready in 30 minutes with this easy, seasonal August sausage and vegetable bake.

Ingredients

• 4 sausage links of your choice • 1 lb green beans • 1 red bell pepper, diced • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

• 3 tbsp olive oil • 2 cloves garlic, grated

• 1 tbsp thyme • 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp basil • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

• 1 red onion, diced • 1 zucchini, diced • 1 yellow summer squash, diced

Directions

Beach Fishing Friendship Garden Heat Outdoors

Pool Rainy

1. Preheat your grill to medium heat or your oven to 425 F. 2. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well. Divide into four equal portions. 3. Prepare four 16-inch pieces of foil and place a portion in the middle of each section. Wrap each foil piece tightly and avoid holes. 4. Grill each foil packet for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. You can also bake each packet for 20 minutes at 425 F.

Rhubarb Sardonyx Schooling Vacation

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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, our Vermost Insurance family keeps growing! We hope our referral

program makes you happy, too! People who referred clients to us in June: Tom Carrick Jeff Sherman Kim Nymeyer Judy Mancuso Artisan Tattoo/Stephanie Jennings Nanci Reitmann

› Antique vehicles › Annuities › Auto › Boat/RV › Bonds › Builders risk › Commercial auto › Commercial property › Condo › Dental › Disability › Employee benefits

› Flood › General liability › Health › Home › I.D. theft › Life › Mobile home › Motorcycle/Jet Ski › Notary public

June Puzzle Winner: Deb King

› Umbrella › Workers'

June Referral Winner: Stephanie Jennings

Compensation

Ashley Lepper Cheryl Martin

... and more!

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

Phone: (727) 748-2886