Pending developments from the current Covid-19 pandemic, the National Football League is scheduled to begin its season tomorrow, September 10^th with defending Super Bowl LIV champs Kansas City taking on the Houston Texans. Although the season may be different than the past 100 years, it’s sure to be a memorable one.

The NFL is set for the projected season with new stadiums opening just in time for kick-off, a shortened season and retrofitted locker rooms where limited to no media will be allowed. As it stands now, no fans will be allowed in the stadiums per government protocol as we all try to understand and navigate through this virus.

Known as America’s game, with over 114 million viewers each year, we have our fingers crossed that we can enjoy yet another season of this sport.

Today we celebrate and recognize the American Labor Movement and the contributions of workers everywhere whom fuel our economy and its development. This federal holiday was enacted over 125 years ago as a token of appreciation, giving all laborers an additional day of rest. So from all of us here at Western Mutual, we want to say thank you for your contributions and hard work. Enjoy today and Happy Labor Day 2020!   

The say the best compliment a company can receive is a referral to your family and friends. As a regional, mutual insurance carrier we know that word of mouth and positive feedback is what keeps us going and growing. The following are testimonies our customers shared with us and we would like to share them with you.

“I will highly recommend Western Mutual to family and friends in the future as I already have. Very good company and made a horrible experience of being burglarized, a lot easier to deal with.” – Dorian E., CA

“When we’re talking peace of mind, I’m so happy that I’m a Western Mutual policy holder. Not only are your rates very affordable, your service is second to none. Just simply thanks for being there…” – Richard H., TX

It’s been our pleasure protecting homeowners like you for over 75 years.

In California, fall season is fire season. With an average of 5,000 wildfires happening each year in the golden state, we must all be prepared and have an action plan ready.

The following suggestions are from readyforwildfire.org which explain the 5 steps one can take to help protect your home and family.

• Create a defensible space around your home. Try to keep brush, trees or landscaping at least 100 feet away from the sides of your home. This allows emergency crews to safely and adequately protect the structure.
• Make your home as fire-resistant as possible. Concrete, brick and tile are all ember resistant building materials. As far as plants go…roses, honeysuckle shrubs and cherry trees are more resistant to fire than others.
• Put together an emergency kit now. This kit must include everything from face coverings, battery operated radios/flashlights, extra batteries, non-perishable foods that will last three days, medications, change of clothes and legal documents like your birth certificate.
• Write an action plan. This action plan assigns each person a responsibility they’ll have if you’re being evacuated. The easiest way to ensure a fast and safe departure is to make sure all household members have a copy of the list and know their role.
• Let family, friends or neighbors know where you plan on going. Check-in frequently and secure a safe shelter outside of the evacuation zone.

For more tips on how to prepare for a wildfire please visit www.readyforwildfire.org

Each day you have to make an important decision…

Will you give up, give in, or give it all you got?

Time to find some Monday Motivation!  We recommend starting with coffee…

When a storm, wildfire, or theft strikes your home, we want to help alleviate additional stressors not only with the claim process, but also with your home repairs.  While most contractors and vendors are honest, helpful, and provide excellent work and service, it is important to watch for cons, bad repairs, and insurance fraud.  This could result in anything from subpar repairs, excessive damage to your home to inflate claim payments, or disappearing with your down payment without having completed the work.

Here are some ways to protect yourself.

• Call your insurance first and report the claim.  We can get the claim process started, and offer contractor referrals if you would like one.
• Get a signed contract before work starts.
• Check license and insurance information with your state.
• Avoid door-knocking contractors… use established pros.
• Have your Western Mutual adjuster review and approve the repairs before beginning the work for ease of process.
• Take photos before and after, especially of any poorly done repairs.
• Report any fraudulent behavior to the state.

With historically low interest rates, now is the time to purchase a home or refinance your loan. If this is something you’ve been thinking about doing, don’t forget to let your insurance company know. As your homeowners insurance company we need to make sure that we have all interested parties listed on your policy. Items you will need to know in order to update information include the following; your lien holder’s name, their address, loan number and a fax number. With this information you can call in or email your request asking that we bring up-to-date your policy information.

You can reach us at 1-800-234-2114 or email your request to service@westernmutual.com.

Working from home may be your new normal but it can still feel odd no matter how many cups of coffee you’ve drank. It turns out that there’s a reason for that and we can do something about it. Waking up and not having to get ready to walk out the door sounds ideal but did you know that not getting ready is the reason for the odd feeling you have?

In an article written by CakeHR, they released to their employees the following guidelines to have a successful, “normal” feeling work day from home.

• Keep your morning routine going as if you were coming into the office, including getting dressed in something other than your pajamas
• Designate yourself a workspace and set it up similar to your cubicle or office
• Organize your day with focus hours, breaks and a lunch hour. Keep it consistent
• Avoid distractions at all cost, you don’t have a T.V in the office so don’t have one in your home office
• Communicate like never before, make sure to keep your emails up to date, your replies stay prompt and work flow steady
• Monitor your progress and do not over work yourself, once you clocked out your done…go home!

Western Mutual and Arizona Home Insurance strive to make managing your policy easy and stress free. Our pledge is that our customers receive top of the line service each and every time, whether that be online or on the phone. We’ve made it even easier now by giving our insureds the ability to request changes, process payments or retrieve copies of their coverage online at any time. A hassle-free way of taking care of business.

Check us out online at www.westernmutual.com

On this day in 1920 the 19^th amendment was ratified and forever changed the voting history of our country.  Prohibiting any federal government from denying a vote submitted by a citizen based on gender, the amendment granted women the right to vote for the first time in U.S. history.