Minimum Insurance; The Dreaded Scenario

     Insurance, the dreaded word everyone doesn’t like to hear until something goes wrong.  Some people view insurance as just another bill, others think of it as some kind of government rip off while others consider insurance a valuable tool to protect their assets. It is true, if you drive a car on public roads or have a mortgage on your home you have to carry some kind of insurance coverage, however, the different types and limits can be confusing if you don’t know what to look for.

     If a person with limited assets gets insurance, they commonly buy lower limits of insurance. State minimum in California is 15/30/5 covering the driver for damages they cause up to fifteen thousand dollars per person, thirty thousand dollars for injuries per accident and five thousand dollars for property coverage (car you hit, fence, light pole, etc.). When was the last time you heard of someone going to the hospital and the bill costing less than 15 thousand (full price charged)? Also, I’m still searching for a 2-3 year old car costing less than 5 thousand. If you have not figured it out, a driver should have -more than the minimum for coverage, however, I get frequent comments like “just give me whatever I need to drive” when quoting an insurance rate.

     Insurance premiums can be a substantial part of the family budget but it is meant to protect the person hurt because of a brief lapse in judgment or careless mistake. Don’t let one accident ruin a lifetime of hard work. Review, understand and increase your coverage when necessary so when something goes wrong you won’t be dreading that word, insurance.

     Call Georgetta Gans, Nency Gonzalez (hablo espanol) or Brian Walker for more information and to get a quote to protect you against people with low limits. Multiple companies available to quote if qualified.  951-672-3476

New Toastmasters in Menifee; AM meeting!

     Are you one of the many people afraid of public speaking? Does your current level of communication hold you back from a better job? Do you want to improve your current skills to gain self-confidence?  If so, another Toastmasters Club is coming to Menifee and they are looking for new members so they can Charter in January.

     Toastmasters is known for being a ‘public speaking’ club but it offers so much more than being able to stand in front of people. You will gain self-esteem and learn how to listen better to other people along with having lots of fun. “The stories and information shared is so interesting while you learn about lots of topics” says Georgetta Gans who has been a member for over a year (in another club).

     Currently, there are two clubs meeting in Menifee; Menifee Toastmasters and The Leadership Connection, both meeting every Thursday at 12:05pm and 6:30pm, respectively. The new club will be meeting on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday’s of the month at 7:45am for all you early risers. Nothing starts your day like speaking and coffee!

     The location is the same for all clubs: The Rilynn Professional Building located at 27070 Sun City Blvd, Menifee 92586, near the corner of Sun City Blvd and Cherry Hills Blvd between Provident Bank and Stater Bros.

     Contact Brian Walker for details at 951-672-3476 or company@rilynn.biz for more information.

 

Rilynn Company Inc.: Carry Full Coverage...or Else

Rilynn Company Inc.: Carry Full Coverage...or Else:      Traffic slows down at the common rush hour times in Southern California daily and without fail. You can set your watch on it and I...

Carry Full Coverage...or Else

     Traffic slows down at the common rush hour times in Southern California daily and without fail. You can set your watch on it and I have realized for every minute I take to leave adds ten minutes to my trip time. Not a very good ratio so I decided to buy a motorcycle and start really moving around the Southland. By some accounts, it is legal to split lanes in stalled traffic and a motorcycle can move a lot faster than a passenger vehicle.

     So my motorcycle was a thrill to ride and it was not very expensive. My commute times were slashed and I was happy to be on the road again with the wind in my…helmet. The insurance to drive the bike was cheap enough and I did not bother to get Comprehensive or Collision coverage because I didn’t care about the bike and it wasn’t worth the expense. Besides, if I crashed the bike and it was my fault then I would deal with the consequences and move on with life.

     The story begins one day while I was driving a familiar patch of pavement and like clockwork the traffic slowed and I went in between lanes. A driver in the left lane decided his lane was not going fast enough and swerved into the center lane, however, this 19 year old driver did not use a blinker or check his blind spot. You guessed it; I was next to him going about twenty miles per hour.

     With no time to stop or even brake I remember seeing his front passenger wheel suddenly get really close to me. Hitting between the wheel and the door, I was launched thirty feet into the air and came as close to Superman flying as humanly possible. Thankfully, I tucked my head and did a flip in the air so I landed on my shoulder and not my face. My flip was so fast my dress shoes flew off and I banged my ankles and feet so hard on the pavement I had bruises for weeks.

     To my joy, traffic had suddenly stopped in all three lanes from where I was hit and I stood up and braced for an additional impact of someone hitting me. But nothing came and the headlights illuminated me in an unwanted spotlight. After the initial adrenaline rush, I hobbled over to the median and crumpled down under my own weight as my ankles gave out in pain.

     After the police, ambulance and reports were done, I waited for my father in-law to bring a flatbed trailer to bring my totaled bike home. The next day I called his insurance company to find out what to do next. To my horror, I was put at 50% at fault by the insurance company for this accident and determined to be going too fast for traffic conditions.

     The insurance company I had would not help me because I did not have full coverage on my motorcycle. Even though they agreed I was not at fault, they could not do anything because they were not involved. If there was a lawsuit against me they would pay but not the other way around. It was up to me to fight the insurance company for anything owed to me. Overall, I had to settle for 50% of all my injuries, bike damage and lost wages at work.

     Sure, I could have fought it in court and spent many thousands of dollars to get back a few thousand. I was not mad at the situation because it was an accident, I was mad at myself for trying to save a few bucks and not having the coverage. In life you get what you pay for; that holds true for your insurance coverage. So the next time you need to cut costs, look somewhere other than your insurance. Insurance is for accidents, and you can’t plan those, you can only prepare and have full coverage.

Healthcare in California

     Healthcare for everyone living in the United States, has been, and will be a topic for discussion lasting the next 10 years. Will it happen, will it succeed and are we as a nation better off for having access to doctors and hospitals?

     The ethical, ‘feel good’ answer is everyone should be able to get quality care regardless of income level. However, the cost for this future addition to the Standard of Living could take other things away from the general population. The money has to come from somewhere and contrary to government thinking, money cannot just be printed in abundance. So is the money taken from the schools? From Social Security? Unemployment Fund? Military and Defense? Will gas and oil be taxed at a higher rate so we pay more at the pump?

     Taxing the rich to pay for the poor is not the answer. Taxes are seen as punishments and if you punish someone for doing well they are less likely to continue the behavior; at least continue the behavior in a lawful way. Something has to change and with the National Debt growing to unfathomable levels the chance of paying it off while incurring another major expense is slim to none.

    Pray for the strength and wisdom for our government leaders. Pray they are able to make the right decisions for our country as a whole. However, regardless of their decisions, make sure you make your voice heard. Do not stand by and let things happen to you and your country you do not approve. Get out and get educated and then vote! Information is available but make sure you are talking to an expert to get all the facts.

 

One Expert for Covered California is Laura Roeder. She can be reached at 951-602-5819 or financial@rilynn.biz

Call or email for an appointment.

Brian Walker Plan & Do

Expectations of the Chamber of Commerce and getting out of your chair.

The Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce has been around for over 36 years and could not be stronger. Of those 36 years, I have had the privlidge of serving as a Board of Director for the past 7. In 2008-2009 I served as the Chairman of the Board and learned more about business and more importantly myself than anyone could have imagined.
     When Joan Ring came to my office 9 years ago and asked me to join the Chamber I was sharing an office with another insurance agent. He and I split the cost and figured out a way to share all the phone calls waiting to pour into our office. We thought if we were Chamber members, it would be a windfall of opportunity and all we had to do was wait...
     The phone didn't ring, no one came in and we would have thought the Chamber of Commerce was a total joke if I didn't venture out to start actually meeting people. I went to the mixers, the lunches, the ribbon cuttings and all the events I could to meet people. Next thing I know, my phone still doesn't ring but I have a box full of business cards I start calling for meetings. I'm setting up appointments, and coffee times and then the business starts actually coming in. My office partner never left his chair, and his business never took off either.
     If done right, a person can make a career off the contacts they make through the Chamber of Commerce networks. Notice I said contacts and not clients from the Chamber. The difference is the amount of Care put into the relationship with the people you work along side with in this crazy thing called community. Remember the saying, no one cares what you know until they know how much you care.
     Looking back, it was a hard 7 years but they flew by as I matured and my business grew. Thank you to all who voted for me as Business of the Year (4 times) and to those keeping me on the Board. My business and my family thank you for the many memories and the bright future of this Valley.