Shannon Harvey Insurance

Fortunately a friend told me about this segment which recently ran on NBC's Today Show spotlighting cancer.  It has great statistics that are especially relevant since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The doctors & cancer patients talk about major medical plans and how the plans don't offer coverage for a lot of the non-medical charges & out of pocket expenses associated with cancer.  This is particularly sobering since it is reality.

Our Cancer Insurance Policy takes on new meaning for me due to my recent encounter with skin cancer. I find it to be worth that extra 2- or 3-minutes to discuss this with customers since so many people fail to think about it until it's too late.

The Clemson Derby Days charity event which benefits the Children's Miracle Network at Greenville Children's Hospital is taking place this week.  The Children's Miracle Network (CMN) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for hospitalized children in over 170 children's hospitals.  In the Upstate, the local CMN-affiliated hospital is Children's Hospital at Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center (GHS).

Derby Days has been a tradition at Clemson since 1979 and it includes a week-long series of events in which Clemson's sororities engage in friendly competition to raise money for Children's Miracle Network.  Events during Derby Days include bowling, karaoke, a dance competition, and more.  The sorority ladies are getting more and more involved every year and previous attendance has been on a campus-wide level. The week will be capped off with the great concert courtesy from the ever-popular Blues Traveler.  Clemson Derby Days' contributions of more than $100,000 over the past four years have helped create Safe Kids Upstate, an organization of more than 450 coalitions who help prevent accidental injury of children by providing training and education to parents, teachers and medical professionals.  I'm glad to see them playing a role in preventing the number one cause of death to children under fourteen in the United States, motor vehicle accidents.

In these tough times it can be difficult to find the money for worthy causes and the CMN would be very grateful for contributions of any size. Donations to CMN create miracles by funding medical care, research and education that saves and improves the lives of 17-million children each year. To make it easy, they've set up an online system at the Clemson Derby Days website where you can make a donation through the click of a button.

Thank you very much for your time and please keep the efforts of Children's Miracle Network in your heart as we try to enrich the lives of those less fortunate.

Congratulations to Teresa Ovissi of The Train Auto Sales & Leasing for winning the August Referral Contest drawing for a $50 gas card! Thank you, Teresa, for your trust. We're glad to put your customer in Good Hands.

Thank you also to the other entrants in the drawing. Your referrals are greatly appreciated!

The contest is simple. For every referral that you send our way that calls and asks us for a home or auto insurance quote, we will enter you in the contest for the monthly and quarterly prize. If the referred individual purchases the quoted policy, your name will be entered a second time. The best part about this program is, there is no limit to how many times your name can be entered. The more referrals you send the better your chances of winning!

Each month we'll select one winner to receive a gas card.  Additionally, each quarter we'll select one person as the winner of the quarterly prize--last quarter's item was a Nintendo Wii. So what are you waiting for?

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I'm pleased to read that a number of recent advances will help prevent, detect and treat the disease that women dread so much. Among them:

• Tough cases get a little easier A new category of PARP inhibitors, when used along with chemo increased survival time by 50 percent in a recent study of patients with advanced breast cancer. Researchers are hopeful this striking improvement will hold up in further studies, as relatively few drugs work against breast cancer where tumors are lacking receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2.
• Screenings get a fine tuning Family history, age, and whether you've had kids have been classic risk factors for breast cancer. A major review of studies suggests a woman's vulnerability after menopause is better estimated if you also consider the density of her breast tissue. Ask your physician if your mammmogram indicates dense tissue, and if it does a digital mammogram may help since it's more accurate for dense breasts.

If these are things that remind you to schedule your next appointment, keep in mind that National Mammography Day will be celebrated on October 16th. On this day some radiologists provide discounts or free mammogram screenings. It is smartest to hope for the best while planning for the worst.

Does your world seem to be getting more complex and overwhelming by the day? Do you suffer from information overload, with technology and new consumer products fighting for your time, money and energy? Maybe I can help.

Amidst all the frantic confusion, some people are choosing to pare down their lives rather than being swept up. They often can find themselves living happier, quieter and more content lives than they were before.

Don't worry, I recognize it's not practical for everyone to move to a small house in a quiet country town. What you can do is make small changes for a big impact. Here are ten ways you can simplify your life.

1 - Loosen your schedule

Do you find yourself always rushing from one thing to another? Or that every minute of your day is planned out? Try planning less things during the day and leave more time between activities. As a bonus, you can get ready for things earlier, and you won't feel like you're always behind the eight-ball.

2 - Eliminate 20%

Stuff and baggage accumulates over time. It's a good idea to take a sweep through your stuff every few months or so and eliminate 20% of your clothes, toys, electronics, etc. You can donate them to charity or even consider selling them through a garage sale or other various online auction sites.

3 - Focus your priorities

Spend some time thinking about what you're doing with your time. Think of the four or five most important things to you. Are you able to focus on those? Or do you have too many commitments that leave you with little time to do the things you love? Cut everything except those four or five things.

4 - Go small

This is a big step, but can go a long way toward simplifying your life. Do you have rooms in your house or apartment just for stuff? Are there always empty seats in your car? If moving to a smaller, less expensive house or trading in for a smaller, more fuel-efficient car is something you can do, you'll find that a lot of weight may be taken off your shoulders.

5 - Learn to say no

Whether it's saying no to yourself when you're at the mall or saying no to a co-worker that asks you to do extra work, learn how to say no to things that don't align with your priorities. You'll spend less time focusing on things that don't make you happy.

6 - Clear your inbox

Do you have tons of unread email messages? Or piles of unread mail at home. On top of being unnecessary clutter, an unknown pile of to-dos can wear at the back of your mind and keep you from staying on top of things. Keep your inbox and unread mail at zero and you'll find yourself being more efficient and relaxed.

7 - Create a simple, healthy menu

Is figuring out what to make for dinner a struggle? Are you making a trip to the grocery store every day for extra ingredients? Make a simple, healthy menu for all your meals, and get all the ingredients in one trip. Make it a family event, or use it as quiet time to think.

8 - Clear your desk

Some people make it a habit to have a clean desk when they leave work every day. An organized workspace without clutter is efficient, relaxing and will make you more productive.

9 - Leave a small online footprint

Are you a member of every social networking site out there? Do you have more email addresses than you can remember? Pick one email and one social networking site, and delete all the rest. You'll spend less time trying to keep up.

10 - Do nothing

Carve out a small part of your day to do nothing other than reflect on what's going on in your world. Make it a quiet, peaceful place and try to clear your mind from anything that's weighing you down. Often you'll find yourself coming out of this time refreshed and ready to tackle anything that comes your way.

For the last nineteen years, the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) Board of Sponsor members have been working collectively to "Pass the Word" throughout the country that early detection of breast cancer saves lives. This year, they are depending on the general public to join in this national effort to "Pass the Word" to as many women as possible.

NBCAM offers several ways to "Pass the Word" this October on their website www.nbcam.org . In addition, the website contains several sources of more information about the importance of early detection.

National Mammography Day

National Mammography Day will be celebrated on October 16th. On this day some radiologists provide discounts or free mammogram screenings. Visit the website www.nbcam.org to find out how to get the list of facilities that will be participating in National Mammography Day.

Some peace of mind that lets you Focus on the fight...

For just pennies a day, many people own Cancer Insurance policies to supplement other medical insurance they may have. These policies will pay benefits directly to you, the insured (unless assigned), and can be used to help your family pay for expenses you would most likely incur when undergoing cancer treatment.

The benefits from this insurance can be used to cover things like lost income, childcare expenses, extraordinary housekeeping expenses, special diets, even meals and lodging away from home. It's peace of mind at a time when your mind needs to be focused on getting better.

Home safety is important and can also be easy by taking a few simple steps. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple and these are just that.

Prepare For Emergencies:

• Keep a telephone handy in your bedroom and your kitchen or living room.
• Create a list of emergency phone numbers you can keep near your phones, including 911 and the poison control hotline (1-800-222-1222).
• Keep a disaster plan for you and your family. The list should include emergency contacts and designate a meeting place outside your neighborhood so family members can meet up in the event of a disaster.
• Have a well-stocked first-aid kit in your home.

Following these few simple steps to prepare for emergencies allow you to plan for the worst while hoping for the best. Your family will thank you for that.

I've often heard other insurance professionals say, "People buy life insurance because of love." Life insurance helps you to ensure that the financial needs of your family are met in the event of your death. This gives you peace of mind, since you'll know your family will be secure in the future.

So, to answer the question, you need a life insurance policy if your loved ones depend on your income or stand to inherit a financial burden in the event of your death.

The money your dependents will receive, "the death benefit," can help pay essential day-to-day expenses, such as mortgage and medical bills, and help your family reach longer-term goals such as your children's college education. Plus, life insurance can help ensure that your loved ones are not burdened with debt or forced to sell assets to pay outstanding bills or taxes.

Okay, so you've decided you do need life insurance and you're now asking: "How much life insurance do I need?" This depends on a few factors. Generally, the rule of thumb is 7 times your salary; however, as life changes, your insurance needs might, too. It's a good idea to reassess your needs annually to make sure you have enough to properly protect your family.

Beyond protection, life insurance can be the cornerstone of your family's financial security by providing savings and wealth transfer opportunities. In fact, the very first step in selecting life insurance is to decide how you want the insurance to work for your family.

If you have more questions, I can help you determine the amount of protection you may need and the type of insurance that's right for you.

College football is right around the corner, which means the biggest college football rivalries will soon be heating up. Are you planning a road trip to your favorite college or university for a football game? Do your plans include a trip to Clemson for the Tigers' season-opener against Middle Tennessee on Saturday at Memorial Stadium?

Well, you won't be alone on the roadways, so don't let the typical distractions ruin your trips this college football season. Drivers are faced with the added distractions of extra traffic on the roadways heading to the stadium, congested parking lots and campuses with plenty of pedestrians and moving vehicles. With so many things to do, and so little time to do it, it's no wonder why we try to multitask while driving.

In 2007, nearly 112 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes around the United States on average, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Allstate encourages drivers practice caution behind the wheel, and offer some good driver safety tips:

•·                     Keep your eyes on the road.

•·                     Be aware of your surroundings at all times.

•·                     Do not eat while driving

•·                     Do not apply cosmetics or groom if you are behind the wheel.

•·                     Don't text or use your cell phone behind the wheel

•·                     Pull over if you feel drowsy

This fall you'll root for your favorite team to take extra care of the football late in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line. Use that same frame of mind when you're behind the wheel making those trips back and forth to the games. It's okay to hope for the best as long as you plan for the worst.

No matter the time of year, the aftermath of storms can be devastating, leaving people without homes or dealing with major repairs. While we can't predict whether or not our homes our home will be affected by hail, heavy winds or strong thunderstorms, home owners and renters in Greenville, SC can make sure their property and belongings are properly protected.

The Atlantic hurricane season stretches through Nov. 30, and early preparation is the best way to help protect your family and property.

Regardless of whether you own your house, condo or townhome, or if you rent, this next question should be very important to you: If disaster struck your home would you know what you owned?  Remember that even though it can take years to collect your possessions, they could be gone in a split second following a disaster like a fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, storm or another peril.

We recommend that you compile a home inventory to compile a list of your belongings to ensure the proper coverage in your home owners, condo or renter's policy.  If your home, condo or apartment is damaged or destroyed in a storm, an accurate and up-to-date home inventory can help make the possible recovery process easier on you and your family.

6 Steps To A Home Inventory...

• Whenever possible, make sure your home inventory list includes photographs or video of your belongings. If you have a home video camera, take periodic videos of each room in your house.  Focus on individual items in each room. Take additional video of smaller items like jewelry, silver, and related valuables or keepsakes. The same recommendations apply if you're using a conventional camera. Be sure to be thorough when taking pictures of your belongings.

• Include with any picture or video home inventory list, a detailed, written account of what you own. Be specific in your written inventory. Whenever possible include make, model, serial numbers, receipts, and date of purchase for all items in your home inventory.

• If you don't have pictures, a written home inventory list is better than no inventory, but make sure you are as detailed as possible.

• Store your home inventory list somewhere away from your home. If you have a bank safety deposit box, keep your list there. If you don't have a safety deposit box, ask a friend or relative to keep your inventory list in a safe place.  I recommend, wherever you store your home inventory list, make sure the location is far enough away from your home it won't be lost in the same event that may destroy your house. However, make sure your home inventory list is kept close enough so that it is easily accessible to you when you need it.

• Be sure to update your home inventory after any major purchase or gift. You should be updating your home inventory periodically anyway, but make special effort to do so after any major purchase, holidays, or birthdays.

• If time permits, share your home inventory with your insurance agent so that he or she can help you decide if your coverage meets your needs.

While it's easy to hope for the best, it's best to plan for the worst.