Western Mutual and Arizona Home insurance are excited to participate in this year’s Toys for Tots toy drive. Our staff members have been purchasing toys and gifts for infants, children and teens online all month long and the company will match their contributions.

Collecting millions of toys each year, Toys for Tots has helped underserved children and teens throughout the country since 1947.

This year donations will be done online at www.toysfortotsbox.com where we can all choose a small gift that we can pay forward. 2021 has been hard, let’s take this time to spread some holiday cheer!

The mortgage industry is going through a significant change. For mortgage origination professionals, it’s a struggle to keep on top of all the changes, and to keep your sales strategies and marketing initiatives at their peak. You need to keep your pipeline filled, and you need the tools and directions to stay profitable, efficient, and effective.

Because of the ever-changing landscape of the mortgage industry, Western Mutual is happy to announce that Originator Connect is bringing their show which has been hailed as the top gathering for mortgage pros to Irvine California!

Western Mutual would like to invite all mortgage professionals in and around Orange County to the annual mortgage expo being held at the Hilton across from John Wayne Airport. This event will take place on Thursday December 9, 2021 from 12PM to 4PM. Along with many other exhibitors, we will be there to show you industry trends and one of a kind programs that’ll make your loan process efficient and profitable. If you are interested, please visit: https://originatorconnect.eventsmart.com/events/california-mortgage-expo-irvine/       

You can also call our Affinity department for more information at 1-800-234-3659.

Now that we got your attention…before you grab your ladder and boxes of lights, review our list of do’s and don’ts for hanging holiday lighting strands safely. If installed incorrectly, your sparkling lights may lead to your electrical system being damaged or even cause a house fire.

DO:

Examine light before hanging: Throw away any holiday lighting sets with cracked or broken sockets, loose connections or frayed or bare wires. Replace burned-out bulbs promptly with bulbs of the same wattage.

Use appropriate lights for indicated areas: Each box of lights will indicate whether they’re meant for outdoor or indoor display.

Consider using LED over incandescent bulbs: LED lights are about 75 percent more efficient than conventional incandescent lights. This makes your electrical load more than seven times smaller, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

DON’T:

Power too many lights with the same outlet: Each standard circuit breaker is able to handle about 15 amps of current. However, when you add too many strings together, it is easy to overdraw power. This has the potential to cause some serious damage to your electrical wiring.

Never use staples, tacks or nails: They can damage the electrical wiring and cause frayed wires, which have the potential to shock or cause electrocution if mixed with water.

Connect LED and incandescent light strands: Simply because the power current that incandescent lights need is much larger of LED lights. So one connected to use the same current the LED string will burn out due to electrical overloaded.

We know strands of sparkling lights make your home feel merry and bright, especially on a gloomy December day but we implore you taking the recommended steps above to make it a safe and festive season.

Many homeowners face natural disasters that force them to leave their belongings behind and evacuate their homes. Before returning, homeowners should ensure that local officials have determined that it is safe to re-enter their neighborhood. In addition to natural disasters, homeowners may have to leave their house if they experience a fire or ruptured pipe. Natural disaster or not, having to leave and return to a damaged home is not easy but should be dealt with some understanding of what to expect and how to react. Therefore, we have created this guide to assist you should ever go through this experience.

• Inspect the property carefully to identify post-disaster hazards. Be vigilant of things such as mold, chemical spills, live wires and structural damage. Exit immediately if any of those items are discovered and call your insurance company.
• Take photos of damage to the building and destroyed contents to document any losses you may have incurred. Again, call you insurance carrier right away.
• Crews should have done a thorough clean up, however keep records and receipts for each cost incurred in cleaning up or repairing your home. Always ensure that a licensed company completes this work.
• If you are temporarily allowed back for more supplies make sure you stay updated by going on social media, your state and local government websites, traditional media outlets (newspapers, radio, television) and/or town hall meetings.

Above all, should you ever experience a loss as described above please remain safe and attend to your well-being first.