33 Years and counting.....

33 Years and counting……


Thirty-three years? I’ve been here that long??? I start my 34th year working at Nixon Insurance today.  It seems like just yesterday that I started working at Nixon Insurance Agency. There were only four of us when I started, and several years later, there were only two of us due to the retirement of Harold and Betty. We didn’t have any computers; we rated the policies using a calculator and a rate manual. We completed the applications by hand. How did we get everything done????? In 1985, we purchased our first computer. (Remember the old IBM green screens?????)  Everyone has a computer with dual monitors. Today, there are eight of us including two Bradley students. We scan all of our mail so we can easily find it (No more "lost papers").  All of the rating is done on the company web sites, and all of the applications are computer generated. We now have a Facebook page (have you entered our contest?), a blog, a website, and even a mobile application that lets you document an accident and send it to us from the scene!

There have been a lot of changes in the past thirty-four years, and yet, one thing has always stayed the same. The desire to do what is right for the customer and to help them through the insurance process whether it is purchasing the right coverage, or helping them with the claim process has remained a constant at Nixon Insurance. Our customers may not always like the outcome, but we strive to help them understand the why or the how. There are things that we as agents have no control over such as rates, or how an insurance company arrives at a replacement cost, but helping you understand what your insurance needs are and how we can assist in protecting those assets is one of our goals.


Nancee Purdum, CIC

Black Friday Shopping

In light of the upcoming holiday season, I suggest you be prepared for next week!

 

Black Friday Preparation Tips:

 

1. Financial - Make sure you have paid off last years “Black Friday” from your credit card.

 

2. Physical - You should start a training regimen early. Consider:

1. Cardio – Wind sprints and Endurance Running: You will need to have both physical endurance and the ability to respond quickly.

2. Weight Training – How else do you expect to lift that 32” TV before the person next to you?

 

3. Shopping Practice- I would suggest going to less busy retail stores and practice:

1. Your defensive shopping stance to guard places in line
2. Using your cart as a battering ram
3. Using your cart as a temporary blockade to shelf items you want

 

4. Transportation - Take the smallest vehicle you have so you can fit into the tightest of parking spots. I would suggest finding an empty parking lot prior to Black Friday and practice your maneuvers using safety cones as barriers.

 

5. Clothing – Dress in layers, you must be ready for the bitter cold of standing in line outside and the warmth of being jam packed into tight spots waiting in line inside.

 

6. Food & Drink- Stay hydrated but avoid alcohol as you may become a danger to yourself and everyone around you.

 

7. Children- Leave small children at home. This is no place for children. Can you imagine a child’s chance against a mob of angry women trying to find the last Tickle-Me-Elmo?

 

 

 

Good luck to you all! I will be sitting home watching football or in my deer stand as far away from the crazies as possible! God Speed.

 



Do you have flood protection?

With the devastation of Hurricane Sandy still in our present, it is a good time to think insurance. Most of us Illinoisans do not have to worry about a hurricane rolling through our state. So why discuss it? Discussion needs to happen because in the world of insurance, it may not be as it appears. According to CNN Money: Homeowners in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will save thousands of dollars in insurance costs after several state governors declared that Sandy did not make landfall as a hurricane, exempting them from insurers' hurricane deductibles. The only issue is the pain following Hurricane Sandy is just the beginning as millions of policyholders discover their insurance will not cover a majority of the damage done by the storm. Most of the destruction from the super storm has been caused not by hurricane winds, but by severe flooding from the tidal surge. Why is this relevant? This is where it hits a little closer to home. Traditional homeowner policies do not cover flood. Flood insurance needs to be purchased separately from the National Flood Insurance Program. Despite the experience of Katrina and numerous examples of widespread devastation caused by floods, less than 15% of homeowners nationwide have taken up flood insurance according to New York “The Street”. According to the NFIP website there is a 26% chance of flooding damage in a 30 year time period in high-risk areas. Welcome to Illinois where we do have risk for floods! Please review your insurance and your risk and contact Nixon Insurance for a flood policy quote!

Nicole Emery

Time to Move Forward

What a week! Finally the campaign and election is over with! Although the outcome may not be what everyone would have hoped for, this is my take on the situation:

1. Know that you contributed if you voted and your voice was taken into consideration

2. Try to make everyday your best day as an American and fellow human beings, by do something nice for   someone less fortunate or help with an organization. Get involved in your community! (I need to do this)

3. Complaining is okay for a while, but let's all go forward!


Debbie Rogy

And you thought you'd heard it all.

Not everything about insurance has to be stuffy. According to Uniqueinterestingfacts.com, there are several policies out there that are far from boring. Some celebrities buy insurance for their body parts, for example, leg insurance (ha!). David Beckham's legs are insured at $35 million each, but he is not the only one with a leg policy. Singer Mariah Carey can top his $70 million legs as her’s are insured for a cool billion. Bruce Springsteen also took out a policy through Lloyd's of London to insure his husky voice for 3.5 million pounds. But it gets even stranger in the body insurance world. The Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards, has insured just his middle finger on his left hand for $1.6 million, and Gene Simmons insured his tongue for $1 million. Proctor & Gamble insured Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu's flowing locks for a cool $1 million as this football giant is the current face (or hair) of P&G's anti-dandruff shampoo, Head & Shoulders.


But there is still one policy that tops the weird meters…drum roll please… according to Parade Magazine, actress Shirley MacLaine is the owner of one of the most bizarre insurance policies. According to the publication, this storied actress owns a multi-million dollar policy protecting her acting fortune against alien abduction. Nope, you read right. I’m still trying to figure out what the aliens will do with her cash flow, buy a new space craft, or maybe a new bike for ET? But she is not alone; in fact, more than 20,000 people in the United States have given their hard earned cash over to cover themselves in the event of alien abduction!

So my final question to you: What do you think my insurance knowledge should be insured for, you know, in case the aliens steal it?


Nicole Emery
Personal Lines

Meet Nick and learn about distractions while driving!

Well this is my first blog so I will start my blogging experience with an introduction of myself and some of what I believe are the biggest distractions while driving. My name is Nick Gunn and I am the claims administrator for Nixon Insurance Agency. Along with being the claims administrator, I also work in commercial and personal lines sales. I started at Nixon Insurance in 2006 and worked here until 2009, first as a part time intern and then as a full time employee. I returned here in 2011 as the claims administrator after working at another agency from 2009 – 2011. Earlier this year I completed my Certified Insurance Counselor, CIC, designation. I am married to my wonderful wife, Jessica, who puts up with me way more than anyone should. We currently live in Bartonville and have two beagles, Finn and Shot. In my free time, you will most likely find me watching a sporting event or on the golf course. Well enough about me.


As the claims administrator, I will start my blogging experience with what I feel are the six biggest distractions while driving.

1. Cell Phone Texting and Talking

- While it would seem that heavy fines and tickets would have slowed the number texting and driving instances but it seems that people have just gone to greater lengths to hide the act making it even more dangerous.

2. Talking to Passengers

- This is especially dangerous for youthful drivers. How many times have you passed a car full of teenagers blarring their music turned around talking to each other while traveling 70 mph down the interstate.

3. Eating and Drinking

- A study by Exxon Mobile found that over 70% of people admit to eating behind the wheel and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded that those who eat and drive increase the odds of an accident by 80%. Think about those numbers.

4. Using a Navigation System

- GPS devices provide drivers with difficult to use, hard to see, and sometimes frustrating directions.

5. Putting on make up.

- Grooming is one of the leading causes of distraction-related accidents on the road each year.

6. Being a DJ.

- Thanks to smartphones, most people carry their MP3s, email, and phones in the same device. While it isn’t illegal to change playlist on your MP3 player it is just as distracting as texting while driving.

Minimize doing these things while driving and you will decrease your chances of having an accident. Until next time, drive safe!

5 Tips for a Safe Halloween

1. Chaperone Children
2. Make Costumes Easy to See                                  
3. Make Sure Costumes are Flame Retardant
4. Give Children an adult contact and phone number (in case they are separated from an adult)
5. Don't forget about Special Event Coverage for Haunted Houses, Hay Rides, Parades, Picnics, and Craft Fairs.

Nixon Insurance Agency offers special event coverage for a variety of these activities!

Enjoy the season!

Deborah Rogy

Commercial Lines