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Protection Team News
3 BILLS AT BAT The Rays, Lightning, and Legal Process
The end is very near. And no, I’m not talking about the world, but the legislative session. As I mentioned last month, a number of bills are making their way through due process that will impact all of us IF they pass and get signed by the Governor. Three of them that I am closely watching deal with the auto glass claims Assignment of Benefits (AOB) abuse, Citizens Insurance changes, and the expansion of the My Safe Florida Home grant programs. If passed and signed in its current form, the auto glass AOB bill will stop the inducements of “free steaks” and people soliciting you while pumping gas. Hopefully, the bill will pass to rein in those runaway costs. Second, the bill changing Citizens Insurance could mean removing the flood requirement for condominium unit owners and allowing them to utilize alternative dispute resolution methods for a premium reduction. Some other changes are packed into the bill, but those are two big ones. Lastly, the bill expanding the My Safe Florida Home grants would help people retrofit/ upgrade their homes to withstand hurricanes better and allow them to qualify for insurance discounts. All of these bills — if passed and signed — will help reduce premiums. I just can’t tell you how fast that will happen. At least the legislature is doing something other than just staring at each other and sticking their heads in the sand. Next month, I should know if these bills passed and were signed. Stay tuned to find out. Something else has ended: the current Tampa Bay Lightning season. No, they did not make it past the first round this year. Strike up the funeral march and grab the Kleenex, but they just did not look good against the Maple Leafs. Last month, I said that they were limping into the playoffs. You could see that
VOL 15, ISSUE 8
A Lot Is Happening in Tampa Bay Page 1 Never Lose an Item Again! Page 2 Your Homeowners Policy Likely Doesn’t Cover Flooding Page 2 The Colorful History of Medieval Smack Talk Page 3 Referral Winners Page 4 Wacky July Holidays Page 5 Homemade Dole Whip Page 5 Word Search Page 5 April Referrals and Puzzle Winner! Page 6
Celebrating Easter with the family!
the injuries had taken their toll, and Vasilevskiy was not playing his best game. Hopefully, they can get some rest this off-season, heal from their injuries, and make a deep run one more time before the salary cap really hits the team hard. What about those Rays: leading the league in wins, point differential, and home runs! They are just plain fun to watch right now, especially with the Lightning out of the playoffs. Yes, the Rays have had their injuries, even severe injuries like Tommy John’s surgery, but they still have found a way to keep winning despite them. There is an old saying, “You cannot win the pennant in April, but you can certainly lose it!” I don’t think we need to worry about that this year. Go Rays! Until next month, –Darren
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www.vermost.com newsletter@vermost.com
RAINY SEASON HAS ARRIVED Flood Insurance 101 With summer in full swing, the rainy season (along with hurricane season) has also arrived! We can expect plenty of afternoon showers and severe thunderstorms, too! We will keep our fingers crossed that hurricanes steer clear of Florida this year, but we know not to hold our breath. Did you know that about 40% of natural disasters involve flood damage? Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damages from flooding, and flood insurance usually needs to be obtained separately. Homeowners' insurance policies usually only cover damage from water that occurs from unexpected events inside your home, such as a bathroom pipe bursting. However, your typical homeowners' insurance policy won’t cover damages from rainwater outside a house that seeps through the foundation. A separate flood insurance policy will cover your home's foundation, appliances, furniture, and belongings. It’s important to note that a flood insurance policy will also reimburse the work
HOW DOES IT FEEL?
The Secret to Finding Lost Items Faster
Imagine you're racing out the door when you go to grab one last item; maybe it's your keys, phone, or even your left shoe. But when you reach for it, it's not there! You knew you set it on the counter last night, or did you? Now, the scrambled search for the lost item becomes stressful. Luckily, a study from Johns Hopkins University might help us find those lost items easier. The trick, they say, is to imagine the parts of the missing object we can't see. This might sound confusing because when you search for an object, you're typically looking to see if you can spot it in your home's environment, like a game of I Spy. But researchers found the characteristics of the object we can't visually identify are the trick to finding them easier. For example, is the item hard, soft, light, or heavy? When someone goes grocery shopping, they know eggs are light and fragile, while cans are heavy and hard. This is why we put the cans at the bottom of our shopping bags and the eggs at the top. So, if you asked someone to find a can of soup in a grocery bag, they would likely rifle to the bottom first because it's heavier. You can apply this same principle to finding a lost item by how heavy, hard, soft, or light it is. For example, if you're searching for a sweater in your room, you know it's soft and light. So, the best place to search for it is not amongst hard items like books, shoes, or toys but someplace where soft items congregate, like piles of clothes, a bed, or a chair. If you're looking for your keys, you know they're hard and make a sound when rattled. In that case, it may be a good idea to physically feel around for something hard that makes a noise when you touch it. Understanding the non-visual properties of an object narrows our search options, which leads us to lost items faster without unnecessary distraction. So, next time you lose something, think about where it would be, not based on how it looks, but how it feels!
Vermost Insurance Now has a relationship with Chuck Chucri, who offers financial planning and investment
Did You Know ...
advisory services!
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1
Largo, FL 33771-3315
Phone: (727) 748-2886
How Disses Became Poetry Long before diss tracks, rap battles, and “yo mama” jokes, there was medieval “flyting.” Defined as quick exchanges of witty insults, these poetic slights were popular in England and Scotland from the 5th to 16th century. Insulting someone in verse took immense effort and quick wits, and they were undoubtedly a performance you didn’t want to miss. Despite crude language and below-the-belt potshots, flyting became entertainment for royals and was dubbed “court flyting.” While these jests are not well-documented, one flyting event made history. The iconic exchange known as “The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedie” occurred in the early 16th century between William Dunbar and Walter Kennedie. The two were performing their court flyting for the Scottish King James IV. Both men were known for their intellect and clever nature, and their flyting did not disappoint. This famous dialogue featured two firsts: using fecal matter as an insult and dropping the F-bomb. Low-brow and crass, these speedy insults were simply too entertaining for even kings and queens to ignore. If you’re wondering what exactly these two “gentlemen” were saying, we’d have to admit that it would be difficult to quote without including expletives and curses. However, one tame section can be shared here. Dunbar reportedly insulted Kennedie by saying: Maggoty mutton, gorged glutton, scurrilous certain heir to Hillhouse, Rank beggar, oyster-dredger, dismal debtor on the lawn, Lily-livered, soul-shivered, cheap as slivers in the millhouse, Bard baiter, thief of nature, false traitor, devil’s spawn. While these amusing fights THE ORIGINAL RAP BATTLES
spent removing debris, sandbagging your house, and relocating furniture due to flooding or potential flooding. In some areas of Florida, flood insurance is necessary to obtain a mortgage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps will determine which properties are in a flood zone. If you no longer carry a mortgage or live outside a high-risk flood zone, flood insurance is not mandatory, but we highly recommend it — you never know when a disaster will strike! Here at Vermost Insurance Agency, we offer free, comparative quotes on flood insurance and are here to ensure you get a fair and competitive rate to protect your property, home, and belongings! Call us today or request a quote to see how much we can save you on flood insurance!
CALL FOR DETAILS OR TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY (727) 748-2886 Chuck Chucri, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, FLMI Financial Advisor The Prudential Insurance Company of America Prudential.com/advisor/chuck-chucri Our financial advisors and financial planners offer financial planning and/or investment advice through Pruco Securities, LLC (Pruco), under the marketing name Prudential Financial Planning Services (PFPS). A financial advisor or financial planner offers securities products and services as a registered representative of Pruco and offers insurance products as an agent of issuing insurance companies. 1-800-778-2255 Vermost Insurance is an independent organization and is not an affiliate of Prudential Financial.
were a form of entertainment, men also used them to influence
the courts and improve their social profile while lowering others. So, as you can imagine, flyting
could get intense (similar to rap battles and heated diss tracks). Centuries have passed, yet some things never really change!
1007626-00005-00
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Toll free (800) 828-2226
Fax (727) 577-4991
www.vermost.com
newsletter@vermost.com
2023
BE A LIFESAVER
2022 REFERRAL WINNER!
We want to thank everyone who referred their friends, family, and coworkers to Vermost Insurance throughout 2022. When you refer someone to us, you receive rewards for each referral and are entered into monthly and annual drawings for additional, even bigger prizes. Your referrals mean a lot to us, and we want to reward you for helping us grow our Vermost Insurance family. The annual grand prize winner of our 2022 referral program is Christine Taylor. She received a 55-inch 4K TV plus a $250 donation to a charity of her choice. If you want a shot at the 2023 prize, keep sending referrals our way. Your referrals make us happy, and we hope our referral program makes you happy, too!
Christine Taylor was our 2022 referral winner of the 55-inch 4K TV plus a $250 donation to a charity of her choice.
• A $50 GIFT CARD
• $5 Donation to our spotlight charity: Meals on Wheels of Tampa
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1
Largo, FL 33771-3315
Phone: (727) 748-2886
1200 Belcher Rd. S. Suite 1 ● Largo, FL 33771-3315 ● Phone: (727) 748-2886
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Wacky July Holidays
• July 17 - National Get Out Of The Doghouse Day • July 18 - National Sour Candy Day • July 19 - National Hot Dog Day • July 20 - National Fortune Cookie Day • July 21 - National Be Someone Day • July 22 - National Mango Day • July 23 - Gorgeous Grandma Day • July 24 - National Drive-Thru Day • July 25 - National Hot Fudge Sundae Day • July 26 - National Coffee Milkshake Day • July 27 - National Chili Dog Day • July 28- National Milk Chocolate Day • July 29- National Chicken Wing Day • July 30- National Cheesecake Day • July 31- National Raspberry Cake Day
• July 1 - National Play Outside Day • July 3 - National Eat Your Beans Day • July 4 - National Ceasar Salad Day • July 5 - National Workaholics Day • July 6 - National Fried Chicken Day • July 7 - National Father Daughter Take a Walk Day
• July 8 - National Freezer Pop Day • July 9 - National Sugar Cookie Day • July 10 - National Kitten Day • July 11 - Cow Appreciation Day • July 12 - Eat Your Jello Day • July 13 - National Beans N Franks Day • July 14 - National French Fry Day • July 15 - National I Love Horses Day • July 16 - National Personal Chef Day
WORD SEARCH
HOMEMADE DOLE WHIP
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice • 1 cup vanilla ice cream • 2 cups frozen pineapple
• 1 tbsp lime juice • Pinch of sea salt
Directions 1. In a high-powered blender, combine all the ingredients. Blend on medium-high speed until smooth, stopping to push the pineapple chunks down into the blender as needed. 2. Transfer to a bowl; cover and freeze for 30 minutes. 3. Scoop and serve. Alternatively, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, then pipe into small serving bowls. (This method will make it look like it came out of a soft serve machine.) Inspired by ThePioneerWoman.com
Refugee Sailing Solstice Waterski
Juneteenth Music
Beach Burgers Cycling Father
Pearl Pride
You can fax, email, or mail your completed puzzle for a chance to win our monthly prize!
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Toll free (800) 828-2226
Fax (727) 577-4991
www.vermost.com
newsletter@vermost.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1200 Belcher Road South, Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771 www.vermost.com (727) 748-2886
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
You Make Us Happy
We Insure More Than Just Cars and Homes Here's a list of some of our lines of protection:
Thank you for recently referring your friends, family, and coworkers to our agency. With your help, our Vermost Insurance family keeps growing. We hope our referral program makes you happy, too! People who referred clients to us in April: Destry Hilliker
› Antique vehicles › Annuities › Auto › Boat/RV › Bonds › Builder's risk › Commercial auto › Commercial property › Condo › Dental › Disability › Employee benefits
› Flood › General liability › Health › Home › ID theft › Life › Mobile home › Motorcycle/Jet Ski › Notary public
Robert Reichold Diane Goulah Mark Dyson Colleen Anderson Resales MH Nazih Tageddine James Allison
Bob Grimes Amy Bryant Mary Rivera Christopher Marks Darby Jones Kathleen Caffrey McManus & McManus
April Puzzle Winner: Celeste Sproul April Referral Winner: Destry Hilliker
› Umbrella › Workers'
compensation
... and more!
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771-3315
Phone: (727) 748-2886
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