Month: August 2021

Ingredients

4 cups cauliflower florets
2 Poblano peppers seeded and diced
2 tbs. canola oil
1 cup rice flour
2 cups of brown rice bread crumbs
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water (only if needed to loosen the batter)
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
Garnish: chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro

For The Sauce

3 tbs. low sodium soy sauce
2 tbs. rice vinegar
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbs. hoisin sauce
2 tbs. Truvia brown sugar
2 tbs. water
1 tbs. dark soy sauce
1 tbs. grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp. corn starch

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the canola oil, rice flour, milk, pepper, salt (optional) and water (as needed) together in a small bowl. Pour over the top of the cauliflower and toss well to coat. Toss coated cauliflower in the brown rice bread crumbs. Transfer the cauliflower to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through until tender and golden.

Prepare the sauce by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients.

Heat a large skillet or wok over low heat. Add the Poblano peppers and toast for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Add the baked cauliflower and toss well until coated. Transfer the cauliflower back onto the parchment lined
baking sheet. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro, as desired.  Drizzle a little extra sauce over the baked cauliflower for an extra kick.

Homeowners insurance claims are on the rise, up 3.2 percent in 2018 according to a January 2021 study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. According to the Insurance information Institute, about one in 20 insured homes has a claim each year, with an average cost per claim reaching as high at $78,838. See the statistics below.

CLAIM STATISTICS

 Homeowners Insurance Claims Frequency*

• About one in 20 insured homes has a claim each year.
• About one in 40 insured homes has a property damage claim related to wind or hail each year.
• About one in 50 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing each year.
• About one in 365 insured homes has a property damage claim related to fire and lightning.
• About one in 425 insured homes has a property damage claim due to theft each year.
• About one in 1,440 homeowners policies has a liability claim related to the cost of lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that the policyholder or family members cause to others.

Average Cost Per Claim, 2015-2019

With the likelihood of a claim occurrence on the rise, there are some important steps you can take to minimize your losses: 

1. Record a Home Inventory Video
   Use your cell phone to take a tour of the interior and exterior of your home. Open your closets and drawers to view what is inside. A complete list of all your things will be so important if you have lots of damage after a fire or tornado. If you have to rely on just your memory, it is likely you will forget some items and fail to include them in the claims process.
2. Review Your Policy OFTEN
   If you are not covered correctly, you could be in a significant financial deficit after a claim. Check your policy to see if your possessions are covered for their replacement value or actual cash value (value minus depreciation). Ask your agent if your roof will be covered at replacement cost. Be certain that any high value items like jewelry, firearms and art are listed on your policy.
3. Maintain Your Property
   Your property insurance policy is intended for unexpected damage, not neglect. For example, damage from a pipe that suddenly malfunctions is an unexpected and covered event. But damage from a leaky roof that you have been aware of could be denied because you didn’t take any action to stop the damage it was causing.
4. Wait to Post on Social Media
   Social media is the golden ticket for home invaders. Not only can a burglar see that you are headed on a weeklong vacation via your social media post, they also can scope your pictures to see where all the high value items are located in your home. Best to wait until your return to share your vacation memories.
5. Document the Damage
   As soon as a claim occurs or is discovered, pull out your phone and start taking pictures of the damage. This can pay dividends when the insurance carrier is accessing your payout.

If you have questions about your coverage, how a claim is handled, or ideas for a secure place to store your home inventory video, do not hesitate to give us a call.

Duncan McKinnie
W&A Bodiford Agency – Bolivar, TN 

*Insurance Information Institute calculations, based on ISO®, a Verisk Analytics® business, data for homeowners’ insurance claims from 2015-2019

DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE, August 13, 2021 – White & Associates Insurance today announced it has awarded $100,000 in employee wellness rewards. Established in 2015, the White & Associates [W&A] wellness program has grown into a large part of company culture and boasts a 94% staff participation rate.

The program started small, with points logged for exercise, water intake and obtaining an annual wellness exam. Within the first year, W&A saw the need to automate the way employees were logging points and built a website internally to keep track. Each year, new options are added including challenges like no sweets for a month, screen-free nights and carbonation elimination for 30 days. Employee points equate to cash and paid time off each month. In 2020, the average cash earned per employee equaled $356 and 52 days off were rewarded.

“Making the decision to dedicate reward dollars to our employee health program was an easy one,” said White & Associates chief executive officer Larry White. “I believe that taking strides towards healthier living is an essential part of operating a successful business today. Our people are our greatest asset, and we owe it to them and their families to do everything possible to encourage health and wellness.”

“Surpassing the $100,000 milestone is something I could not picture seven years ago,” said Amy Ladd, White & Associates group benefits sales manager. When our committee first began planning our wellness program, we were hopeful to make a positive impact and create a long-term health insurance cost savings program. It is wonderful to see the program come to fruition, and our group health insurance costs benefiting as well,” said Ladd.

Successes include an employee losing over 100 pounds, an employee quitting all tobacco products after 35 years of use and several team members weening themselves off pre-diabetic, cholesterol and blood pressure medications. The program celebrated its five-year anniversary in 2020 with a week of mental health encouragement and will continue to incorporate education, challenges and incentives for employees.

WELLNESS PROGRAM STATISTICS

Statistics show that healthy behaviors lead to lower health risks and lower health risks lead to less chronic diseases. Less chronic diseases allow employees and employers to experience lower health care costs. Among 22 different studies that reviewed wellness programs, Harvard Health Affairs reports the average return on investment for an effective program to be 3.27%.

POINT OPPORTUNITIES

Our program includes incentives for:

1. Annual wellness exams
2. Participating in wellness activities including two-mile walks, 5ks and ½ marathons
3. Recording body mass index metrics
4. Consistent exercise
5. Monthly challenges

FAVORITE CHALLENGES

1. No Fried Food Month
   Earn 1,000 points if you eliminate fried food from your diet Monday – Friday.
2. Screen-Free Nights
   Earn 2,000 points for refraining from “screen time” from the time you leave work until you return the next morning 2 days a week. Screen time includes television, computer, tablet and cell phone use with the exception of speaking on the phone and responding to a text.
3. Water Month
   Earn 500 points for drinking 64 ounces of water every day of the month.
4. Sweet Free Month
   Earn 1,000 points for eliminating sweets from your diet Monday – Friday.
5. Thankful Month
   Send 5 thank you cards to people you know.

SUCCESS STORIES

1. An employee losing over 100 pounds at age 59.
2. An employee quitting ALL tobacco products after 35+ years.
3. Several employees off medications including pre-diabetic, high cholesterol and high blood pressure medications.
4. An employee suffering from daily headaches, neck stiffness and backaches now pain-free after the removal of soda from their diet.
5. Staff participation in more than 40 community 5k events.

For more information about the White & Associates Wellness program, contact Amy Ladd at amy.ladd@whiteins.net or 731-288-3532.

Ingredients

1 ½  lbs. boneless chicken breast or thighs cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 poblano peppers stemmed, seeded & chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp cumin
¾ cp chicken broth
2 cps cauliflower rice
½ cp fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season chicken with pepper (salt is optional).
Place chicken in the skillet and brown on both sides for 5 to 6 mins and then transfer to a plate.
Add the other tbsp. of olive oil to the skillet.
Add the diced onion and poblano peppers and sauté for 4 to 5 mins or until soft.
Add the garlic and cook one more minute.
Add chicken broth, cauliflower rice, cumin and salt & pepper to taste and stir to combine.
Place the cooked chicken on top of the rice and reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally until the chicken is completely cooked through and the cauliflower rice is soft.
Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
Enjoy!