What is Workers Compensation Insurance?

Workers' compensation insurance, sometimes called workman’s compensation
insurance, workers’ liability insurance or workers’ comp insurance, covers your employees’ medical expenses and at least some portion of their lost wages if they are injured on the job.


Because workers’ comp insurance is mandated by law, small-business owners often think that it is just one more overhead expense that provides little benefit. But good workers' compensation insurance is actually an affordable benefit that protects both you and your employees.


For more information, follow the following link:  http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/faqs.html
 
To obtain a quote for your business, call us at 760.438.4442.

Earthquake Preparedness

Today Japan was shaken yet again by another aftershock, this one measuring at 7.1 on the Richter scale. As that country continues to recover from one of the most disastrous tragedies of our time, I wanted to make sure we did our part here in California, especially because of our earthquake risks, to remind you of a few very important things to consider for you & your family's safety and welfare.
First, consider getting earthquake insurance on your home. Homeowner insurance policies do not cover damage caused by earthquakes. You must get coverage separately. Many companies offer earthquake insurance at the time of your policy purchase or at the renewal. The cost for earthquake insurance can vary, however the benefits can be substantial if an earthquake does hit and your home is damaged.

The Emergency Survival Program published a list of 7 steps to earthquake safety. Those steps are:

PREPARE
Step 1: Secure it now!

Step 2: Make a plan

Step 3: Make disaster kits

Step 4: Is your place safe?

PROTECT
Step 5: DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON!

RECOVER
Step 6: Check it out!

Step 7: Communicate and recover!

If you'd like a copy, please email me at mmcdonald@allstate.com and I will gladly forward a copy to you.

If you'd like to make a donation to the Red Cross relief efforts in Japan, click here. 

Call today, worry less tomorrow....

Texting and Driving... Don't do it!

If you have teenage drivers, watching this video is a must! AT&T put together this documentary to bring awareness to the growing problem of texting while driving. This is a video I think that is best viewed together with your teen, follwed by a discussion about texting and driving and finally a commitment to never do it.

Please share the video with those you care about.

Life Insurance 101

Do you have questions about life insurance? The purchase of life insurance is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make in your financial life, however most of us put it off until it is too late. Take the next 8 1/2 minutes to watch this video and when you are done, if you'd like to learn more contact our office at 760-438-4442 or email me at mmcdonald@Allstate.com.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month—an annual international health campaign organized to promote awareness of breast cancer issues.

The impact of breast cancer goes beyond just the physical disease and emotional pain—it can be a financial struggle as well. Take a look at the numbers:

-Critical illnesses such as breast cancer can reduce a family’s income by more than $12,000 in the first year alone—even with medical coverage in place.

-Breast cancer patients who have employer-sponsored health insurance spend an average of $6,500 in out-of-pocket costs annually.

-One in five cancer patients with health insurance will use up all or most of their savings during treatment.

To learn more about how you can protect your family against the financial impact a critical disease like breast cancer can have on your family, contact our agency at 760-438-4442.

Where is my Safe Driver Bonus Check???

If you’ve seen the Allstate commercials highlighting the Safe Driving Bonus Check, then you are probably among the many people asking the same question- “where is MY check?” I think I’ve addressed this question maybe 10 times in the past week so clarification is obviously needed.


In order to receive your Safe Driver bonus Check, you obviously have to be a safe driver but more importantly you have to upgrade your policy to the Platinum Protection Plan. By default, all Allstate customers start at the basic or Silver Protection Plan. By upgrading to the Platinum Plan, you receive 4 additional bonuses:

1) Safe Driver Bonus
2) Deductible Rewards
3) Accident Forgiveness
4) Ticket Forgiveness

Since it is an upgrade, there is an additional fee however in my opinion the benefits by far outweigh the costs. The costs differ from customer to customer, so to find out more contact our office at 760-438-4442.