Shannon Harvey Insurance

One of the most aggravating things about air travel is delays and cancellations.  It wasn't too long ago that I was upset because my flight was delayed a few hours due to a bum airplane wheel.... but, could you imagine being stuck in an airport for nearly a week?? 

That's exactly what happened to flyers in some parts of Europe whose flights were canceled due to the volcanic ash clouds forming to the east of Ireland.  Around 95,000 flights were canceled last week due to the ash clouds which was a loss of close to $184 million for the European airports.  This has affected nearly 7 million passengers so far.

Hopefully none of you will have to worry about being stuck at the airport for a week but if you have a long lay over or your flight is delayed, here are 10 tips for making time fly by...

1.       Relax, step-back, take a deep breath and think about things.  Just be positive!

2.       Be a people watcher.  This can actually eat up a lot of time and be fun!  Try to decide what they are thinking and see how different groups of people interact.

3.       If you have your computer with you... get online.  Some airports have free Wi-Fi access and this is a great chance for you to check your email, facebook, etc.

4.       Send someone a postcard.  Almost every airport has a bookstore or kiosk with postcards.  Surprise your family or friends with a postcard from where you are!

5.       Check out some of the airport museum displays.  Just take time to explore the airport that you're at... many have interesting artifacts or art work from different parts of the world.

6.       Play a game.   This can be a game on your cell phone, a crossword puzzle, Sudoku, etc.

7.       Here's a hard one for most people to do... talk to a stranger.  Even if this is out of your comfort zone, you'll be fascinated on the conversations you can have.

8.       Meditate.  Take time to think about life.  You might even want to make a to-do list.

9.       Grab a bite to eat at one of the airport restaurants.  If you're hungry... this is a great way to kill time.  If you not, just grab something small or a drink.

10.   Check out all the stores and kiosks.  There are places that have books, magazines, and newspapers.  Read or buy souvenirs for your family or friends.

I hope these tips will help you or your family in the future if you ever have to wait on transportation.  Remember, if you're sitting at the airport and start thinking about your insurance... give us a call! =)

I came across this Better Business Bureau Alert of the latest scam regarding the U.S. Census work being done now, and wanted you to be aware of this and not fall victim to it.  The information below will be great advice for you to pass along to your customers, prospects, friends, and family.

Wishing you all the best...

For years, your Better Business Bureau has educated consumers about not giving out personal information over the telephone or to anyone who shows up at their front door.  With the U.S. Census process beginning, the BBB advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft.

Census Forms were mailed earlier this year, and if your household returned the form prior to April 1st, you should be done with the Census process and not require a visit from a Census Worker.  However, if the form was not returned by mail, expect a visit in person or by telephone from one of the 140,000 U.S. Census workers who are working hard to count every person in the United States.  Census workers are gathering information about every person living at each address and the collected data includes the name, age, gender, race and other relevant data.

The Census data will be used to allocate more than $300 billion in federal funds every year, as well as determine a State's number of Congressional representatives. Households are actually required by law to respond to the Census Bureau's request for information. 

During the U.S. Census, households will be contacted by mail, telephone or visited by a U.S. Census worker who will inquire about the number of people living in the house. Unfortunately, people may also be contacted by scammers who impersonate Census workers to get access to banking and financial information.  In fact, reports have already been coming in to the BBB concerning visitors who went door-to-door and asked for information such as social security numbers, which would never be asked by a Census Worker. Others report receiving a form in the mail that looked just like a Census form, but also asked for social security numbers. 

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

• If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions.  However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.
• Last year Census workers knocked on doors solely to verify address information. Now they will be asking to verify data on each member of the household, unless your census form was already completed and mailed in. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. Census workers will not ask for banking and financial information nor will they solicit donations.
• Census workers may contact you by telephone, however, they will not contact you by e-mail, so be on the lookout for e-mail scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an e-mail that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

How to report scams and bogus Census web sites

If you believe you have been contacted as part of bogus or fraudulent activity falsely representing the Census Bureau:

In Person Scam

• Check for a valid Census ID badge
• Call your regional office to verify you are in a survey 1-888-586-9439

Email Scams

• If you think it is a bogus email, do not reply or click on any links within the email.
• Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain code that could infect your computer
• Forward the email or web site URL to the Census Bureau at ITSO.Fraud.Reporting@census.gov.
• After you forward the email to us, delete the message. You will not receive a confirmation email after forwarding the information to us. However, the Census Bureau will investigate the information and notify you of its findings.

Mail Scams

• Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service through your local post office.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org

Wishing you a Happy Easter!

The Easter Lily (Latin name Lilium longiflorum) has become the traditional Easter flower. With all the different flowers available in the spring garden, this beautiful, white flower has come to symbolize the spiritual values of Easter: purity, life and renewal.

Native to Japan, Easter Lilies were imported to the United States until 1941, when World War II prompted Americans to start growing their own bulbs. Today, most of the 15 million Easter Lily bulbs grown in America are produced by just ten farms along the California-Oregon border. Easter Lilies are the fourth largest selling potted plant in America (behind the popular Christmas-time poinsettias, mums and azaleas).

According to Biblical scholars, the Easter Lily was found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas is said to have betrayed Jesus. Legend tells that white lilies miraculously sprung up from the ground where drops of Jesus' sweat and tears fell during his last hours. Today, many churches use large bouquets of lilies to adorn their altars and crosses during the Easter season.

To keep your Easter Lilies fresh and fragrant for as long as possible, purchase potted plants with flowers at various stages of opening and with abundant, dark green foliage. As the flowers open and mature, pinch off the yellow anthers before the pollen sheds. The yellow pollen will stain the other white flowers. Once a mature flower has started to wither, you may cut it off at the base to better showcase the new buds.

Easter lilies thrive in moderately cool temperatures (no higher than 65-degrees Fahrenheit) and enjoy bright, but indirect natural sunlight. Keep soil moist and well-drained. Avoid over-watering. Remove any decorative wrappings or coverings, which can trap standing water in the pot.   You can expect your potted Easter Lily to bloom for 1-3 weeks around the Easter holiday. Despite its name, the natural bloom for the Easter Lily is actually during the summer. Under controlled greenhouse conditions, the lily is brought to an early bloom in time for Easter. If you want to continue to enjoy your lily for years to come, try planting the bulb and remaining greenery in your garden after the flowering is finished. Subsequent blooms will occur naturally in the summer.

Happy Easter & enjoy the beautiful weekend!
Shannon Harvey


P.S. - I'm organizing the annual golf tournament to benefit Pendleton Place Children's Shelter on May 17th at Verdae Greens Colf Club...so if you know of anyone that may be interested in playing or sponsoring this wonderful organization's event please ask them to visit my website for more details.

Does Identity Theft concern you?  Have you done your taxes?  Are you ready to discard all that unnecessary paperwork and protect your personal information at the same time? 

Well, here's your chance!  A FREE paper shredding event will be held at the office of Shannon Harvey Allstate Insurance Agency on Friday, April 23, 2010 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.   This event is being held in conjunction with Shannon Harvey Allstate and Shred-A-Way and is open to all individuals who want to shred their personal or business information.

Representatives from Allstate will answer questions and teach participants to anticipate and protect themselves from potential identity theft, as well as offer an opportunity to safely destroy unwanted documents which may include personal identification, social security numbers, bank or credit card information, etc.,  while Shred-A-Way personnel will destroy papers and documents. 

Location:  101 Verdae Blvd., Suite 140, Greenville, SC  29607.  For more information, please email Shannon at shannonharvey@allstate.com or call Shannon's office at 864-268-9580.