Thanks Again!

We are proud to announce that we placed in the top 5 for donations at this past year’s MDA Leadership Lockup.  The lockup, which was held on December 10, 2009, raised quite a bit of money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  We were happy to raise $1,000 for the cause.  A special thanks goes out to all of our valued friends and clients who helped us reach our goal!

And The Winner Is…

As you know, we’ve been running a referral contest this year for our personal lines clients.  Each month, a referral winner was randomly selected to receive a $50 Visa.  Each client who referred someone to our agency in the past year for a quote has been entered into our annual grand prize drawing for a 42″ plasma flatscreen TV.

This year, we are pleased to announce Gary Burk of Washington, PA as our winner!  Congratulations! 

If you would like to know how you can get your hands on your very own flatscreen TV in 2010, check back soon.  We’ll be posting more details for our exclusive 2010 Client Referral Contest in the new year.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

This Month’s Tip – Winterize Your Home

With winter fast approaching, now is the time to properly safeguard your home from the harsh elements of this season. These steps can lessen your chances of a loss to your home due to inclement weather.

1.  Verify that your furnace is in proper working order by contacting a heating specialist for an inspection. Heating device malfunctions, including supplemental heating devices such as space heaters, are the second leading cause of fire deaths in this country. The heating ducts may also need to be cleaned. Most experts recommend vacuuming these ducts every 5 years. In addition, oil furnaces should be periodically inspected since poorly-maintained ones can cause severe smoke damage.
2.  Check your plumbing system closely since burst water pipes can spew hundreds of gallons of water into your home. Heat tape should be used on any pipes that are exposed to extremely cold weather. By all means, learn how to shut your water off and know where your pipes are located. The quicker you can turn off the water supply, the more likely you can minimize damage from burst pipes. If you have a summer home exposed to cold weather in your absence, be sure to have the water system properly drained to keep pipes from freezing or bursting.
3.  Replace any cracked or missing roof shingles and verify that flashing around the vent pipes or chimney is watertight. If you have a steep roof or any physical limitations that would make it dangerous to do the repair yourself, a reputable roofing contractor should be used to avoid the risk of injury. The cost of these repairs would certainly be less than the deductible under your homeowners policy should a loss occur.

Billy’s A Wanted Man!

And I’m going behind bars for GOOD!

Please help!  A warrant has been issued for my arrest!  As one of the area’s “Most Wanted” I’m going to be “locked up” to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a non-profit national health agency that does not receive, nor ask for, any government funding, and is NOT associated with the United Way.  MDA, therefore, depends almost entirely on generous individuals and corporations to sponsor various events.

With your tax-deductible contribution to the MDA you can help me raise my bail. 

What Your Dollars Pay For:

• Flu Shot – $25
• One Minute of Research – $85
• Support Group Session – $100
• One Clinic Visit (Children’s Hospital and UPMC) – $200
• Repairs for Durable Medical Equipment – $500
• One Week, One Camper at MDA Summer Camp - $800
• Wheelchairs, Leg Braces and Communication Devices – $2,000

Your support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association provides valuable research for treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases and services for individuals and families living with neuromuscular diseases.

Donating is easy!  Simply mail a check or stop by the office, located at: 1385 Washington Rd.  Suite 105  Washington, PA 15301 – please make the check out to the “Muscular Dystrophy Association”

OR

Visit this website and follow the instructions to pay via credit card.

By participating in this event, you’re making a difference in the fight against neuromuscular diseases!  Your help is appreciated.

Thank you for your support!

Billy

We Are Pleased To Announce Our October Referral Winner!

Congratulations to Carol Andrews of Canonsburg, PA for being our October referral winner!  Carol is now entered into our yearly drawing for a NEW 42″ Plasma BIG Screen TV!  Way to go Carol!

Announcing Our 1st Annual Halloween Photo Contest!

We'd like to share a picture with you of Billy Proudfit dressed as a cow for Halloween. We had to remind Billy that this outfit was NOT considered business casual!

It’s that time of the year when ghouls, ghosts, pumpkins and witches come out to play – but why limit the fun to them?  We want to see pictures of YOU, our valued clients, dressed up in your Halloween garb.

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $50 PREPAID VISA!

The GRAND PRIZE winner will be selected at random from the pool of submissions, so everyone is encouraged to participate, regardless of your creativity level!  We want to see you all being happy, festive and most of all – scary!

Submitting is easy – simply email Kym@proudfitinsurance.com OR send a photo to the office, located at: 1385 Washington Rd.  Suite 105, Washington, PA 15301

Submissions are due by November 30th, 2009.  Please be sure to submit your photos by that day so we can announce the winner in next month’s newsletter!

Submissions are not limited to people!  If you enjoy dressing up your pet, be sure to send us your photos!  You can send one, two or ten photos – it’s up to you!  And as always, remember to be safe during this year’s trick-or-treating!

A Quick Tip from Billy

 

The threat of a Flu Pandemic is real this Fall.  While our flu preparation here in the office usually consists of getting a flu shot, washing hands often, and taking liberal doses of Vitamin C, we have to admit that this year’s Swine Flu (H1N1) outbreak has us a little more tense.

A pandemic doesn’t describe the severity of a disease.  Rather, it describes the way a disease spreads.  Since its outbreak in the spring of 2009, the Swine Flu has quickly made its way around the world.

The magnitude of a pandemic becomes clear when you think of it this way: A pandemic doesn’t only affect individuals.  It can have quite negative effects on the economy since business and services are impacted by absent employees.  That’s why it helps if everyone takes responsibility to avoid spreading the disease.

If you feel any flu symptoms come on this fall, please get better soon and do your best to stay home and avoid contact with other people until 24 hours after the fever subsides.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published a handy Pandemic Checklist that will help you and your family be prepared this flu season if you can’t get to the store or if stores are out of supplies.  I know that our family is planning a trip to Costco to stock up on some non-perishables, cleaning supplies and tissues!

Please Click Here to download the checklist.

Sending the warmest wishes for good health this fall.

Because We Care

 

Proudfit Insurance is proud to announce our donation of $1,000 to the Washington county chapter of the United Way. Please show your support and donate too! Every dollar aides in making a difference in the lives of others!

We Have Another Winner!

Congratulations to Debra Spalding of Washington, PA for being our September referrer of the month.  Debra won a $50 pre-paid Visa for referring friends & family to Proudfit Insurance.

September Is Life Insurance Awareness Month

 

Every September, parents help their children get ready for the new school year.  Part of that planning also should include a review of their family’s life insurance. Here at Proudfit Insurance, we would like to remind all of you that now is the perfect time for parents to make sure they have taken steps to protect their family’s financial future by having proper life insurance coverage in place.

Life insurance protects you and your family in many ways. One of the great benefits is that in most cases, your beneficiaries will not have to pay any income tax on the death benefits. Life insurance can be purchased to help cover:

• Income replacement for survivors – life insurance can provide the necessary funds for the survivors  of the insured to be able to maintain their current lifestyle
• Estate Creation – life insurance creates an immediate estate. This is especially important for young families that are getting started and have not yet had time to accumulate assets.
• Estate Conservation – life proceeds may be used to pay state inheritance taxes and federal estate taxes so that is not necessary to sell off other assets to pay these costs
• Unpaid medical bills & final expenses like burial costs
• Unplanned or emergency expenses
• Mortgage balance
• Future education funds

There are more than 2,000 companies selling life insurance in this country. Some are very good, financially solid companies; others are not so sound. In general, it’s wise to stick with companies that are rated ‘A’ or better by most rating organizations. Given today’s economic landscape, a company’s financial strength is vitally important to you because, hopefully, no one is going to collect on your life insurance for a long time.

So how much life insurance do you need? It depends. Typically 8 to 10 times your annual salary would be the minimum amount of insurance you should have to protect your loved ones. If you have lots of debt, business obligations, or several children, that formula can increase to as high as 12 to 15 times your annual income.

Two other quick points:

1) Life insurance can’t be taken away once you’ve got it. BUT you may not be able to afford it or get any protection if you become ill before you apply (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.).

2) The world’s financial ‘flu’ infects the life insurance industry too.  Rates and fees are rising.  You can lock in your costs now with one of several top-rated companies. Term life insurance rates can generally cost less than a bottle of water a day.

Our agency is here to advise and sell you all the insurance products to protect your family—not just home, car and business insurance.  Life insurance is a critical piece to your family’s security. Remember that life insurance is not for the dead….it’s for the loving people we leave behind. Please call me anytime. I’d be happy to discuss life insurance with you and help answer any questions that you may have.