Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received.  Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.    -Henry Van Dyke

As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches we are reminded of the many things we have to be thankful for.

We are so lucky to live here in California.  We are thankful that we live in an amazing place full of natural beauty, from the regal redwood forests to our beautiful coastline and world renowned surf breaks, there is so much to appreciate about this wonderful place we call home.

We are thankful for our friends, our families, and we are thankful that our business allows us to work closely with our community.

Most of all, we are thankful to you, our clients. Without you, we would not be where we are today.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

Did you know that your homeowner’s policy can help you after you have been a victim of identity theft? Identity Theft is the top consumer complaint received by the FTC for the last 12 years[i] , and California has the third highest identity theft rate in the country[ii]!  Even worse, victims spend an average of 30 hours trying to resolve their case[iii] in addition to the monetary expense of restoring their good name. 

The good news is that most homeowner’s policies now include an endorsement to help you recoup the expenses incurred in restoring your good name and reputation and correcting the fraudulent financial information.  Farmers Next Generation Homeowners Policy will help reimburse you for notarizing documents, sending certified mail, long distance phone calls, and even some lost wages when you have to take time off work to meet with law enforcement, credit agencies, and legal counsel.  

Farmers also offers Identity Shield, and extra service that provides credit monitoring for two people, email notification of suspicious activity, and an advocate to guide and help you through the identity recovery process. If you are interested in the Identity Shield coverage please contact our office!

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[i] Federal Trade Commission. Top Complaint Categories for 2011. http://ftc.gov/opa/2012/02/2011complaints.shtm

[ii] Consumer sentinel network data book for January-december 2011. Tederal Trade Commission. Pg 15. http://ftc.gov/sentinel/reports/sentinel-annual-reports/sentinel-cy2011.pdf

[iii] 2009 Javelin strategy & Researtch, 2009 Fraud Survey Report

Many of us have “summer toys” like jet skis, boats, off road vehicles, motorcycles, scooters, or motorhomes that are used in the summer time and then stored in the garage all winter long.

Are your toys insured?  It is important to review your coverage to be sure you don’t have any gaps in your insurance program.

Beginning in July 2012 you may now qualify for an additional discount on you auto policy if you have your toys insured with Foremost (part of the Farmers Group of companies).

Please give us a call if you are interested in a quote for your toys, we may be able to save you some money!

Would you like to receive less paper, save time, save money and save on space? If the answer is “YES” then sign up for the Go Paperless Program and automatic payments today.

When you sign up for the Go Paperless Program some of your policy related documents will be securely stored online at “My Farmers” and you will receive alerts when new documents are available.  Signing up is easy!

Just go to Farmers.com and log in to your “My Farmers” account.  Click on the “Go Paperless” banner to start the sign up process.

If you haven’t yet set up a “My Farmers” account it is quick and easy to set up.  Just go to Farmers.com and click on Enroll Now.  If you need assistance with setting up an account, logging in or signing up, call  1-888-327-6335.

From your “My Farmers” account you can also sign up for automatic payments from your bank or credit card and never miss a payment.  Login at Farmers.com and click View/Pay Bill.  Then, follow the Automatic Payments link.

If you have any additional questions call 1-888-327-6335 and select “password reset” for help with Farmers.com, or feel free to contact my office at 831-426-7353.

This is a great way to “Go Green” save time, and save paper!

Thank you to all of our friends who took the time to donate to the recent Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser!   Your donations are greatly appreciated.                                                            

There will be a Happy Camper!  We raised enough money to send a child with Muscular Dystrophy to summer camp.

We were happy to be involved in this fund raising campaign for this wonderful charity organization.

I recently accepted the challenge of being a Jailbird in 2012 Santa Cruz Lock-Up benefiting Muscular Dystrophy Association. I’ll be raising money to help in the fight against muscle disease in our community.

I am asking you to help by supporting my fundraising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many children and adults living in our community who have muscle disease! It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause — you can make your donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message.

Thanks in advance for your help in the fight against muscle disease. I greatly appreciate your support for my bail and will keep you posted on my progress.
If you want to talk to me about my own experience of being on crutches for a long period of my childhood, give me a call!             

                                                                                          
Sincerely,

Russ Holcomb

Click here to visit my personal page.   This link is for my MDA fund raiser page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www2.mda.org/site/TR?px=1144450&pg=personal&fr_id=2107&et=7yzTE9BZcqe_Odr03_vo7g&s_tafId=7168

It’s unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little.  When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all.  When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the job it was bought to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.  It can’t be done.  If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         John Ruskin (1819-1900)