Millions of Americans will do some traveling this holiday season - the majority of it by car. Of course, winter weather creates a unique set of challenges on the roadways, whether you’re simply driving around town or headed to the mountains, the coast or to other nearby cities. At Modern Insurance Marketing, Inc., we’d like to help you not only enjoy your holiday season, but help ensure you’ll be around for future holidays, too! So please take these winter-travel safety tips to heart. Prepare your car for winter Before leaving on your trip, give your car a thorough check-up. Do wipers need to be replaced? Are your fluid levels where they should be? Your tires need to be in good shape for driving on wet or snowy roads, and be sure your radiator and cooling systems are up to snuff. And - we know you’ve heard this before, but bear with us - your car should have an emergency kit. Pack it with jumper cables, blankets, a first-aid kit, flares, food and water, a flashlight and other safety gear. A shovel and cat litter or sand (to provide traction should you get stuck in snow or ice) are good ideas as well. Before you leave Know exactly where you’re going, with printed maps, and check weather conditions along your planned route. Let someone know your itinerary, so if you don’t arrive on time, officials know where to look for you. If your car has snow or ice on it, make sure it is completely cleared off before you depart. Don’t forget to clear your headlights and other lights, along with the roof - ice and snow blowing from your car could create a hazard for other drivers. When you’re on the road Are roads snowy or icy? Take it slow. Take it slow. Take it slow. Sorry for repeating ourselves, but it’s absolutely vital to, yes, take it slow. Give yourself

extra time to get to your destination, and make sure you leave extra room between your vehicle and others on the road. Watch for ice patches on bridges, overpasses and shady spots. Remember, having four-wheel or all-wheel drive does not mean your car will stop or steer better on ice. If you’re caught in a storm that seems like it’s too much for you to handle, seek refuge as soon as you can. Of course, sometimes it’s best not to drive in snow and ice at all - stay home if you can. We hope you enjoy your holidays with friends and family, and we look forward to serving you in the New Year!

Over the river and through the woods in the Pacific Northwest...

In this newsletter:

Quarterly Referral Winner: Katie Vosberg

Customer of the Quarter: Critter Cabana

Winter Storms

Year-End Insurance Tips

Spread the Word

www.moderninsurance.com Your Full Service Agency

Congratulations to Our Quarterly

Referral Winner!

We want to congratulate Katie Vosberg of Hillsboro for winning this quarter’s drawing for a $50 Restaurants Unlimited Gift Certificate!

Thank you Katie for referring your friends/family to our agency!

If you would like to be next quarter’s winner, all you need to do is refer someone to our agency and you’ll be entered to win the $50 Gift Certificate.

It’s that simple!

Please send us your e-mail address! Throughout

the year, we’ll send out information on upcoming

events and insurance news. In our newsletter,

we’ll announce our quarterly referral contest

winners...do you feel lucky??? See page 4 for

details. Send us an email at

miki.irish@moderninsurance.com and we will

add you to our distribution list.

www.facebook.com/

ModernInsuranceMarketingInc

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Customer of the Quarter: Critter Cabana

Winter Storms—Are You Ready?

store that allows for a fun, clean environment with lots of character. They are determined to create an experience that reflects their own personal views about owning pets. Pets have inspired them in so many ways and are an integral part of their lives. They love animals and want their customers to share that love. Critter Cabana strives to be more than a supplier of pet goods and services. Their goal is to help facilitate healthy, happy relationships between people and animals by providing meaningful knowledge, valuable goods and by sharing their love for what they do. Both locations offer grooming, educational field trips and entertaining birthday parties. For more information, check out their website at www.crittercabana.com.

During the summer of 2003, when a local pet store in Newberg announced its closing, three young people with a passion for all things furry felt compelled to save their town from a life devoid of animals. The perfect location was discovered in historic downtown Newberg, and Critter Cabana became a reality.

Today, Critter Cabana is a full-line pet store, independently owned and operated with locations in Newberg and Wilsonville. Owners, Brittani, Matt, Scott & Amanda, are driven to be different and wanted a pet

We admit it: As insurance pros, our picture of winter isn’t exactly cozy. Winter storms mean traffic snarls, hillsides turning to sheets of ice, and cars sliding around like hockey pucks. Cold temperatures can cause pipes to burst, frost swells and other damage. Heating your home with fireplaces and holiday lighting can increase the risk of fire. A picture-perfect winter requires a few precautions . Here are a few of our top tips to help reduce weather-related hassles this winter: Winter-proof your car with good snow tires or chains,

new wiper blades, antifreeze, and emergency road supplies.

Keep your attic cool to help prevent ice dams. Insu-late the attic floor and make sure it is well-ventilated.

Do not overload circuits with holiday decorations. When winter storms hit, be smart If you do not have

to drive, stay put. If you must drive, make sure you ’ve winterized your car and have a full tank of gas.

When the air is cold, keep bath and kitchen cabinet doors open so warm air can circulate around pipes. If

pipes do freeze, let them thaw normally—they’ll be less likely to burst.

If the power is out, make sure you avoid leaving candles or fires burning unattended. If you use a portable generator, follow the instructions and do not use it indoors.

We want to help you rest easy. You will be more relaxed when you know you have prepared your property to lessen the chance of winter storm damage. Your insurance policy covers repair or rebuilding costs. However, your deductible does apply. Check your policy to see what is covered and to confirm the deductible you have chosen.

Page 3

Year-End Insurance Tips – Re-Evaluate and Prepare for 2015

With the holiday season almost upon us and 2015 quickly approaching, we wanted to take this opportunity to address some insurance related issues that a new calendar year always brings up. Whether you have an individual or employer sponsored health insurance plan, a life, auto, home policy or some combination thereof, here are a few things to keep in mind as we close out 2014 and usher in 2015.

Insurance documents don’t make for light reading, but we’ve made it easy for you by compiling a list of the specifics you should be looking for as you go over your policies.

Life Insurance

If you have an existing life insurance policy, it is a good time to review the coverage and make sure the policy fits your current needs. If you have bought or sold a business, gotten married, had children, bought a house, or if any number of other important life events have taken place since purchasing your policy, you may be under or over insured. If you don’t currently have any life insurance, start 2015 off right by protecting your family and the ones you love with a term life insurance policy. The process is easy and rates are very reasonable.

Health Insurance

For most policies, your medical plan’s deductible (or copay maximum amounts for HMO plan holders) and maximum out-of-pocket limits are based on a calendar year regardless of when your coverage became effective. All deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximum amounts will therefore be renewed on January 1, 2015. If you are unsure about your policy, please refer to your policy booklet or call our office.

Home Insurance

Homeowners should review their plans to ensure they have enough coverage to pay for the structure of their home, possessions, additional living expenses and liability. One study found that more than two-thirds of U.S. homeowners don’t carry sufficient insurance to pay for the replacement of their home. You don’t want to cut corners here. Be sure that your insurance is sufficient to cover the replacement cost of everything in your house, including valuables that become worth more over time. On the other hand, if you no longer own valuable diamond jewelry or an extensive collection of art, you no longer want to be paying for the extra coverage. This year-end review is a good time to make sure your inventory of your possessions, including photos or a video, is up-to-date and saved somewhere outside your home – for instance, in the cloud. Don’t have an inventory of your possession? Compile one now.

Car Insurance

Drivers can get numerous discounts–from good driving and no claims discounts to those based on education and driving habits. Some carriers even offer discounts for paying premiums up front rather than monthly. Look now to see what discounts you might be missing out on. And plan ahead: will you have a teenager getting a license next year? Ask what you can do to keep costs down.

Why is an end-of-year review of your insurance policies so crucial? Just like we do an annual physical checkup, we should also to take care of our financial health and that includes talking with your insurance agent at MIM every year. Think of the end of the year as a good opportunity to look at your policies and make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. If you’re like most busy Americans, you don’t think much about your insurance coverage on your home, car or yourself very often. Once you’ve taken a look at your policies, you can start 2015 knowing that you have the best rates and the best coverage possible.

Mailing Address Line 1

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29174 SW Town Center Loop West, Suite 102

Wilsonville, OR 97070

Phone: (503) 682-3323 Toll Free: (800) 762-4646

Your referrals mean the world to us. We work hard to earn each referral with great service every day. We appreciate your efforts and we want you to know about our “Spread the Word” referral program. It’s our way to say thanks for all the referrals you’ve trusted us with for years:

Refer someone to Modern Insurance and get something back!

For every referral, you get:

$5 Starbucks Gift Card! What qualifies as a referral? Someone calls for a quote and they mention your name.

(Please note—in compliance with Medicare regulations, referrals for Medicare plans are not eligible for rewards program.) Other restrictions may apply.

The Modern Insurance “Spread the Word” Referral Program

There’s more! You will also be entered into our quarterly and annual drawings for prizes.

Each quarter we’ll have a drawing for a $50 Restaurant Gift Certificate!

We’ll announce the winner in this quarterly newsletter.

For our annual drawing, with each referral you’ve given throughout the year, you will be given an entry into our drawing. In December of 2014, someone will win a week ’s lodging at the beautiful Eagle Crest Resort in Central Oregon!

The person you refer doesn’t have to purchase a policy from us for your referral to count. And the referral program is open to everyone, whether they are a client of our agency or not.

Give it a try!