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February 2023
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ALL SHOOK UP
Remembering the King of Rock and Roll
On Feb. 3, 1959, a plane carrying American musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper crashed, killing everyone on board. Don McLean immortalized this moment as “The Day the Music Died” in his hit song, “American Pie.” Since then, we’ve had several prominent musicians pass away unexpectedly. The
advantage of Elvis from a financial standpoint. He was constantly making Elvis perform without much rest, which took its toll on the performer. Elvis was taking massive amounts of drugs to get up for the show and come down when it was finished. This behavior very well could have played a fundamental role in his death. Another fascinating aspect of Elvis’ life is that he was drafted into the military when he was just hitting the prime of his career. He actually looked forward to serving his country. Could you imagine a
death of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain, and others were a shock to music fans, but no musician’s passing has left a more significant impact on me than the King of Rock and Roll’s.
popular entertainer leaving their career behind to join the military today? That’s something we may never see again. While deployed, he met his wife, Priscilla, and often confided in her that he was worried his military service would ruin his music career. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as his fans went wild upon his return. The train he
I remember this day like it was yesterday. It was the middle of
August 1977, the summer before my senior year of high school began. School wasn’t in session yet, but football two- a-day practices were already underway. The team was gathered together in the weight barn, using machines and lifting
took from New Jersey to Tennessee was consistently mobbed with fans, and he had to make regular stops to appease them.
weights with the radio on in the background. Suddenly, the radio announced that Elvis Presley had passed away. It was one of those moments where everything in the room just stopped. Nobody was crying, but the silence was deafening. Everyone had the same thought: “Holy crap! Elvis Presley just died.” He passed away from cardiac arrest when he was only 42 years old.
Elvis was a one-of-a-kind performer and a genuine trendsetter. My parents saw him in concert, and my mother was a huge fan. It’s crazy to think that Elvis grew up with next to nothing but was still able to become a household name. Elvis’ story should serve as an inspiration to many, as he was able to continually defy the odds to reach new levels of fame and success. It’s a shame he was taken from us so early, since he still had plenty of performances and hits left in him. If you’re interested in learning more about Elvis’ life, I highly recommend you watch “Elvis.”
Elvis recently had a movie released about his life that I found incredibly captivating. It’s called “Elvis” and stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager. It was a fascinating movie that lets you peek behind the curtain into Elvis’ life. One of the things that I found really interesting was how, according to the film, Colonel Parker took
–Brad Johnson President, Risk Services of AR
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AN APPROACH TO LONG- TERM INVESTING REACH YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS Benjamin Graham first published “The Intelligent Investor” in 1949, and the book has been acknowledged globally as the most significant investment guide of the 20th century. It has taught and inspired people worldwide, including Warren Buffett, who described it as one of the best books ever written on investing! According to Graham, those willing to devote energy and cultivate a specific mindset have the opportunity to generate profitable long- term investments. He was able to gain wealth by precisely evaluating companies in the stock market without taking any significant risks.
2022 was a difficult year for many across the world with the severe weather that damaged and destroyed communities. We experienced tornadoes, hailstorms, and the destructive force of Hurricane Ian here stateside, while the rest of the world dealt with its own share of tornadoes, floods, and cyclones. According to a report published by Swiss Re Institute, natural catastrophes in 2022 cost global insurers over $115 billion. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a steady increase of 5%–7% in estimated insured losses, and 2022 was the second consecutive year that we saw estimated insured losses grow over $100 billion. Swiss Re estimates that global economic losses for natural catastrophes in 2022 totaled over $260 billion, while man-made events accounted for another $8 billion lost. The insurance industry was able to cover 45% of the estimated $268 billion lost worldwide. Hurricane Ian led the pack when it came to the costliest natural catastrophe of 2022. Preliminary estimates predict that overall economic losses due to Hurricane Ian sit at $100 billion, of which $50–$65 billion is estimated to be insured. Swiss Re estimates that Hurricane Ian will be the second costliest insured loss in their sigma records after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Interestingly enough, this hurricane season saw fewer storms than initially predicted, but the damages sustained made it the third most expensive hurricane season on record. Hurricane Ian was just one of many costly natural catastrophes the world saw in 2022. A series of winter storms that hit Europe in 2021–2022 has estimated insured losses of over $3.7 billion. Floods and hailstorms across the world caused more than $50 billion in insured losses, with Australia’s floods costing $4 billion on their own. These floods are actually Australia’s most expensive natural disaster in the country’s history. As we progress through 2023, many are predicting the trend of rising natural catastrophe losses to grow. Martin Bertogg, the head of catastrophe perils at Swiss Re, stated, “Extreme weather events have led to high insured losses in 2022, underpinning a risk on the rise and unfolding on every continent. Urban development, wealth accumulation in disaster-prone areas, inflation, and climate change are key factors at play, turning extreme weather into ever-rising natural catastrophe losses.”
Here are three lessons from “The Intelligent Investor” that can help you invest successfully!
Understand the value behind the business. Whatever stock you are looking to invest in, it is essential to know that it isn’t simply an asset. There is a real business behind it, and if you’re looking to invest long term, you must understand how much value the company has.
Some important questions to ask are: •
Is it worth the market price it trades at today?
• •
Is it overvalued?
Does it have potential growth in the future?
This can help you better understand how your investment could appreciate or depreciate over time. Just as Graham did, precisely evaluating versus guessing could make you a more successful investor. Don’t let bias lead you to bad decisions. One of the significant risks when investing is when investors allow bias to lead to wrong investment decisions. The news, economic forecasts, and others’ views can alter a decision. It seems as though investors become attached to information that tends to have little to do with the long-term value of their investments. That is why it is essential to prioritize your research over impulses. Focus on the facts . It can be easy to follow what the majority are doing. Still, you must rely on something other than the herd mentality to buy or sell your holdings. If you’re looking to invest long term, you must analyze your targeted stocks. This will help you make informed investment decisions rather than selling or buying based on what everyone else is doing. With Graham’s long-term investment strategies and understanding the basic do’s and don’ts of investing, you’ll be better positioned to become an intelligent investor yourself!
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Finding Treasure on the Beach AND RETURNING IT TO ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER
the couple soon after and returned the ring to them, expecting nothing in return.
way, man. Look at that bad boy. Holy crap, that’s real. This is the biggest diamond I’ve ever found on the beach.” He then took the ring to a jeweler, where it was appraised for tens of thousands of dollars. A few weeks after discovering the ring, Cook started to receive calls from an unfamiliar number. At first, he thought nothing of it, but as the number continued to call him, he became curious. He set up a video call with the owner of the number, who turned out to be a couple from Jacksonville who claimed the ring was theirs. When Cook showed them the ring on the call, the wife immediately broke into tears in shock that her missing ring had reappeared. Cook met
You’re walking along the beach and notice something shimmering in the sand. You bend down, pick it up, and realize it’s a diamond ring. Not just any diamond ring, though — this one is incredibly fancy, and you’re sure it will fetch a pretty price at the pawnshop. So, what do you do? Do you keep the ring, sell it somewhere, or do something entirely different? One man found himself in this position while using a metal detector along a Florida beach. Joseph Cook was using a metal detector at Hammock Beach in St. Augustine when he stumbled upon a $40,000 diamond ring. He took to social media to post a video of his find. He can be heard excitedly saying, “No
“It felt really good,” said Cook. “I’ve returned sixty thousand dollars [worth] of stuff this year, but nothing even close to this before.” Cook is dedicated when it comes to using his metal detector and finding lost items for people. He even wears a necklace with over 20 rings on it, hoping he’ll eventually run into the owner of any of the rings. You may be wondering why Cook returned the ring or even posted about it after finding out its worth. He stated, “Karma’s always good. Every time I return an item, I find something better, so I’m happy I could give it back.”
Solution on Pg. 4 Have a Laugh!
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INSIDE This Issue
The Incredible Life of Elvis Presley page 1
‘The Intelligent Investor’ by Benjamin Graham 2022’s Severe Weather and Insured Losses page 2
One Man’s Amazing Discover on a Florida Beach page 3
Ways to Disconnect From Technology page 4
Take Time to Unplug! Return to Work Recharged
But during after-hours, establish a hard cutoff time! Inform your employees and clients of your available time frame — set an expectation for more productivity and communication. Choose a second in command. Suppose you’re dedicated to checking out now and then. In that case, it can be beneficial to have someone handle anything that may arise. Consider someone trustworthy and reliable, and give them an overview of day-to-day operations. You can explain what can and cannot be done and alert other employees that all questions and concerns be directed to this person. Make time for yourself. When you’re at work, your main priority is to focus on your business and clients. But when you pack up and head home, you must take time for yourself! Do activities you love, spend quality time with family and friends, and put away your laptop and phone. That email or call can wait until the next business day begins. Pulling the plug on technology can feel intimidating as a business owner, but give it a try! You may be surprised at how refreshed you feel returning to work.
Though technology makes everyday tasks a bit easier, sometimes, the best thing a business owner can do is unplug and recharge! Running a business is a time-consuming and stressful effort. But by stepping back, you can reset and get a fresh perspective on your work.
Start small. Create small habits if you can’t go an entire day without technology! Try starting your morning completely unplugged until you get into the office, or step away from your devices for an hour or two during the day. When you start small, you can build from there!
Schedule email time. We are all too familiar with an overwhelming email stream. We wake up and fall asleep to it, and if we’re not careful, the constant interruptions can run our entire day! If you want to cut down on screen time, schedule email checks. You can make a commitment to address them in the morning or maybe the late afternoon.
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