At Farmers Insurance, we LOVE Teen Drivers

As a parent, it’s up to you to help your teens become safer drivers. Here are some suggestions from Farmers Insurance:

Phase in driving privileges: Many states now have graduated licenses that phase in privileges to allow young drivers to build experience. If you don’t live in a graduated licensing state, do the job yourself. Limit driving with passengers and nighttime driving until you feel your teen can handle the additional responsibility.

Be clear with the rules: Be specific about the time they should be home, when and how many friends they can have in the car, and so on. You should always know where your new driver is going.

Spell out the consequences: Your teen needs to understand that if these obligations are not met, there will be consequences, including surrendering the car keys.

Educate them: Get your teen some supplemental driving instruction, whether it’s a one-time safety course or a full-fledged driving school.

Choosing a vehicle: Choose a midsize vehicle with important safety features such as air bags and antilock brakes, and the newest model your budget can afford since it will provide better protection in case of a crash. Check out the consumer information on car safety available from the U.S. Department of Transportation, theInsurance Information Institute, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and, of course, your Farmers agent.

Be sure to speak with McKinnon Insurance, your local Farmer’s agency ahead of time about adding a teen driver to your policy and review your Auto insurance coverage annually.

 

We are Farmers Insurance, and we LOVE Teachers!!!

At Farmers Insurance we LOVE Teachers and we want you to help us Thank a Million Teachers!

Farmers Insurance wants to thank teachers across the United States. With your help, Farmers Insurance is awarding $2,500 grants to teachers to improve the classroom. Teachers can purchase school supplies or use the grant for professional certification programs through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a teacher you know who has made a difference in your community, your life, or the lives of your family members. Everyone knows a great teacher that has made a difference. Tell about yours at www.thankamillionteachers.com.

In addition to the “Thank a Million Teachers” program , at Farmers Insurance we also offer special discounts to teachers on their home and auto insurance with discounts as high as 15%.

If your a Teacher and you have not checked out Farmers Insurance NOW is the perfect time!!!

Should you buy insurance from a rental car company?

 

One of the most common questions our agency receive is whether or not you should purchase auto insurance from the rental car companies.  There are several things to consider when deciding to buy or waive the rental car insurance.  Your policy with Farmers Insurance  does extend to rental cars.   That being said, it is important to remember you need to carry comprehensive and collision coverage in order for the rental car to be covered.

• Even if you do carry comprehensive and collision coverage – you may still owe the rental car company money after an accident.  Some companies charge you the daily rental rate for every day the car is in the shop.  Others charge a depreciated value – the difference that they could have sold the car for and the amount they actually sold the car for.
• Many credit card companies offer coverage if you rent the car on their credit card.  Look into this!

There are a few advantages to taking the coverage with the rental car companies…

• If you get into an accident while driving a rental car – you can file a claim with the rental car company and your auto insurance rates may not be affected.
• The rental car company won’t charge you depreciated value or rental car costs while the car is being fixed.

Frozen Pipes, are you prepared???

All across the country temperatures are dropping, and in many states they are experience low’s we have not seen in over 20 years.  Several states, including Ohio will see temperatures fall well below zero with wind-chills as low as negative 40.  As temperatures drop, it is important to pay attention to your “pipes,” these extreme cold conditions can easily cause your pipes freeze – below are a few tips to help prevent this from happening.

Tips to help prevent Frozen Pipes:

– Disconnect all garden hoses and anything attached to faucet if you haven’t done that already

– Most outside faucets have an interior shut off valve. Close this line at the shut off valve’

– Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you are leaving the house for an extended period of time

– Open cabinet doors below sink to allow heat from the home to circulate

– Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater( This may come in handy during an emergency)

– Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing for interior pipes that run along exterior walls

– Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home

Monitor freezing pipe conditions:

– Allow a faucet to drip slightly (luke warm water) in order to minimize freezing

– The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from faucet

– Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls and crawl spaces

– Identify cold air drafts coming in from a flue or chimney chase and caulk gaps near pipes

For additional Info Check out the video below, and also be sure to visit the “Insurance Answers” page by clicking here  –

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

From everyone at our agency MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

McKinnon Insurance “Elf on the Shelf” Contest

It is officially the start of the 1st annual McKinnon Insurance “Elf on the Shelf” contest.  We want you to get creative, thank our sponsors (Solid Rock Photos, Synergy Signs and Graphics, & Park Street Pizza) – and here is how it works.

1. Be a “fan” of the McKinnon Insurance Facebook page (must be a fan of our page to be a winner).
2. There are 2 ways to enter your pics in our contest (you only have to do one of them, but can do both) Option 1. Up-load pictures of your families “Elf” to our Facebook Business page daily (1 entry per household, per day – you can get to our Facebook page by clicking HERE) – Option 2 for entering our contest – when you upload your picture to Instagram use Hashtag #mckinnonElf13 and tag us in the pic @jmckins
3. The contest will run from today (12-3-2013) until 4:00 PM on Friday December 20th.  At that time our agency will choose the top 5 most creative “elf moments” (based on our opinion).
4. On Saturday December 21st we will announce the top 5 “Elf Moments” and the “live voting” will begin.
5. We will send the finalist a link to our blog site where they can direct their friends to vote – voting will run from 12-21-2013 until Monday 12-23-2013 at NOON EST – which ever “elf moment” has had the most votes will be our winner.
6. The winner (based on voting) will receive a $100 Visa Gift card courtesy of McKinnon Insurance, a $100 Gift card to Solid Rock Photos, a $50 gift card to Synergy Signs and Graphics, and a $50 Gift card to Park street Pizza –

Have fun, be creative, and we look forward to seeing your “Elf moments” –

*Please keep your “elf moments” family friendly or your post may be deleted – 

Favorite Holiday Recipes

By Tamra Wells 

FINALLY, the Holidays have arrived!!! This means it’s time to break out the cookbook and start making all the traditional favorites!  I know for our family we have several that are a must for not only Thanksgiving, but for all the holiday get togethers.

My Aunt is responsible for our amazing Cheesy Potatoes; she has to make at least 2 pans to feed our family!  I have tried many times to make them just like her’s but they are just never the same!!

My mother always brings her yummy homemade stuffing – the recipe has been passed down from my grandmother and is a must for any Thanksgiving dinner.

I am always responsible for the Green Bean Casserole.  It’s very simple to make and everyone loves it, even my husband who is not the biggest fan of veggies!   I use the classic Campbell’s recipe with a few improvements.

CAMPBELL’S CLASSIC GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup

½ cup Milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Dash of ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut green beans

1 1/3 cut French’s French Fried Onions.

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ to 1 cup Shredded mild cheddar cheese

Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, ¾ of the shredded cheese, and 2/3 cup onions into a 1 ½ casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir mixture and top with remaining Cheese and onions.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown and cheese is melted.

ENJOY!

What are some of you favorite dishes or your holiday must haves?

Before you deep fry a Turkey

As we approach the holiday season, the thought of good food and good company quickly starts to enter our mind. From the Thanksgiving dinner, to the holiday parties “food” becomes a priority.  Growing quickly in popularity, the deep fried turkey.  As much as we all enjoy the holiday season, and the thought of the wonderful food, we also need to take a step back and think about the safety of our family.  

Before you “deep fry” that turkey take a moment to check out this video, and read this safety tips.  From everyone at McKinnon Insurance, would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!!!

10 Safety Tips thanks to Paul Quinn 

1) Make sure you use a commercially built fryer, do not try to make your own. Follow the instructions.

2) Your fryer should be outside and far away from combustible materials or surfaces. Make sure you use the fryer on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.

3) The turkey should be no more than 12 lbs and all innards, pop timers, wrapping etc. should be removed. Also cut off the wingtips and remove the tail.

4) Do not overfill the fryer with oil. To get the right amount, experts recommend that you put your turkey in its basket and then place it into the fryer. Add water so that it is covered until it reaches about a half inch over the turkey. Remove your turkey, then mark the fill spot and then drain the fryer. Dry the fryer and the turkey thoroughly to prevent splattering.

5) Fill the fryer up to your mark with oil that has a high smoking point such as peanut (watch out for peanut allergies), canola or safflower and heat to the appropriate temperature.

6) Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Use your best judgment when attempting to fight a fire. If the fire is manageable, use the all-purpose fire extinguisher and call for help.

7) When placing the turkey in the fryer, wear appropriate attire and place the turkey carefully in the oil to avoid spilling.

8) Do not leave the fryer unattended at any time and make sure there are no pets or children in the area.

9) Once cooked, carefully remove the turkey to avoid spilling.

10) Let the oil cool and dispose of it properly. Do not put your grease down the drain because it could clog your sewage pipes. Filter the oil of any food bits and put it in an air tight container. During the holidays, many commercial facilities like biofuel companies or restaurants expand their drop-off points. Taking your oil to these types of facilities will ensure proper recycling or disposal.

High Value Homeowners Insurance in Ohio – we can help!

The number of high value homes ($300,000 and up) across America is on the rise.  As your local Farmers Insurance agency we want you to know that WE CAN help when it comes to High Value Homeowners Insurance.  It is important to understand that when it comes to high value homes some standard homeowners insurance policies fall short of the coverages you need, and or do not provide adequate levels of liability.   At our agency, we feel it is very important to work with an agent that specializes in, and understands the needs of high value homeowners.

We realize no 2 homes are built alike, and each client has a different and unique situation that calls for different levels of coverage.  We are being trained as a society that insurance is all about the cost, and the value of the coverage is being down played.  If you are an owner of a high value home, chances are you are working your tail off to provide that home for your family.

The coverage we offer through Farmers Insurance is among the broadest in the industry.   We offer you the flexibility to tailor your policy to meet your unique needs.  We will help you customize a plan to make sure we cover furs, jewelry, technology, pools, spas, and any other special feature that your home may have.  We are PROUD to represent Farmers Insurance, and we would be honored to earn your business.

If you own a high value home in #Ohio, and are looking for customizable coverage to meet the needs of your family, give us a call.  We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you, review your coverages, evaluate your needs, and provide you with a policy that is specifically designed to meet your individual needs.

To learn more about our agency check out our web site, or visit our Facebook page.  You can also reach us by calling 330-339-3431.

Are you ready for Winter?

By Tamra Wells & Aaron Pace

It seems the colder weather is upon us and it’s not going anywhere for a while!  As we were are busy putting away the shorts and flip flops and beginning to pull out the cozy sweaters, hoodies, hats, gloves and boots there are several things we often forget to do to prepare our homes for old man winter.

As my family was settling down for family time the other evening, we decided to have our first fire of the season in our fireplace.  As we were preparing everything it dawned on me that this was the FIRST fire at our new home, not only was this exciting but I also had a moment of panic!

This was the FIRST fire since we don’t know when; we moved into our home in early June so we assume it has probably been going on a year since anyone has had a fire. My husband assured me that he had it checked, everything was in good condition and ready for our FIRST fire and a new memory.  We went ahead and had our fire and it was wonderful!  However, it got me to thinking about all the other “To do’s” we had to prepare for the winter.

Here are a couple of good practices to prepare your home for the winter months that lay ahead of us.

Call a chimney sweep – have your wood burning fireplaces cleaned and inspected before using.  Buildup can cause a chimney fire, also make sure the damper working.

Clean out your gutters – make sure to remove all the leaves and debris from your gutters after fall to insure the winter’s rain and melting snow can drain. Clogged drains can form ice dams which can cause to water leaking into the home.

Check your Furnace – It’s a good idea to have your furnace cleaned and tuned annually. Make sure your filter is clean- a dirty filter reduces air flow and lowers efficiency and could cause a fire in extreme cases.

Check your alarms – Most of us have checked our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with the time change, but I know how time slips away and this can be overlooked.  Fire Officials say detectors should last approx 10 years.

Reverse your ceiling fans – by reversing the direction your fans operate, the fan will force the warm air down and force it to recirculate (when you look up, the blades should turn clockwise.)

Restock your Winter Essentials – Many of us don’t think of this and wait for the first big snow/ice storm and then we all rush to our local stores only to find the shelves bare.  Make sure you have salt for driveways and sidewalks along with either a shovel to dig out or a snow blower.

For these and other winterizing tips check out these websites, or give us a call.

 http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13107899

http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/real-estate/T029-S001-12-ways-to-prepare-your-home-for-winter/index.html