Dean Akey

Actually this isn't completely wordless. Last Friday, Feb 6th my riding season for 2009 officially began. Many of you may not know this but I am the Chaplain for both the Blue Knights law enforcement motorcycle club and the Moose Riders. Last Friday, I was honored to ride in the funeral for our past Blue Knights President who had lost his battle with cancer. It was a balmy 9 degrees in the morning when I departed but the warmth of fellowship from my fellow blue knights and law enforcement brothers and sisters kept me toasty warm.....

The funeral was amazing. There was an honor guard, bagpipes and everything was perfectly choreographed. After the funeral I shared with my fellow Blue Knights my own thoughts of mortality. You see, I have made philanthropy and helping others my life's ambition.

What kind of ceremony and service do they give to deceased insurnace agents:)

All the lucky women who receive diamonds as a Valentine's Day gift should know this important fact: Diamonds don't always last forever. As an agent for Allstate I wanted to share with you the top five reasons diamonds are lost forever.

Flushed Away - Left on a counter near a sink or toilet. Just add running water or a flush of the toilet and you can almost hear the sound of memories and thousands of dollars swirling down the drain.

Tossed to the Curb - Hiding valuables in your very own secret place. It's just too bad that your other family members didn't know they were throwing away trash that doubles as your secret hiding place.

Opportunity Knocks - Leaving your rings out on display. Whether you are at a hotel or at home, leaving valuables out in the open is a risky proposition, particularly when others have access.

Poor Stitching - Rings go on fingers, not in pockets. Who knew it could be so expensive to stitch up a hole in your pocket?

Slippery Proposition - Resizing a ring can be a hassle. It's just a little loose. It can wait until tomorrow...or perhaps it can't.

To avoid losing thousands of dollars through a hole in a pocket or a flush of the toilet, consumers should consider insuring their valuables through Scheduled Personal Property coverage. Depending on the value of the jewelry, it may or may not be covered under their current property insurance policy.

If you own expensive or rare items, Scheduled Personal Property coverage is a practical way to protect your investment and achieve peace of mind. The best part about this type of coverage is that it offers all-risk protection, which means customers are insured for all different types of perils, including loss of the stone, a chip in the diamond, misplacing the item, and so on. Unless the peril is specifically mentioned in the policy as being excluded, then the item is covered.

If you have some major league bling coming your way this Valentine's day, check with your insurance agent to make sure that you are covered. If you would like to learn more please call me at 877-232-9899 or drop me a note at deanakey@allstate.com

Welcome back to the Bull Pen. If you don't remember me, my name is Dean Akey and I will be your guide for another fun filled edition. Are you ready? OK then, let's get started...

Have you ever seen the Clint Eastwood movie "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly? This month I am going to start my editorial with the Bad & the Ugly and close with the Good.

It has been said that to succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles. We certainly have seen some of that here from several of the Governors from Illinois. Claude Pepper once said, "The mistake a lot of politicians make is in forgetting they've been appointed and thinking they've been anointed." I couldn't agree more Claude I am hopeful that by the March issue of Thunder roads the following image will be a reality.

There are quite a few great public servants who represent Illinois. Personally I like some of the great things that Mayor Daley has proposed.

"[I propose to create a] Commission on Erections and Mounting.
- Richard M. Daley.

Mayor Daley, I think you may be on to something here. Heck, I may even want to run for office should your dream become a reality.

Enough of that for now, it's almost riding season again. Are you ready? If you have been reading the Bull Pen for any length of time you have probably heard about the Rescue Riders (WWW.RescueRiders.ORG). Well it has been quite a busy winter and thanks to grants from Allstate and the law firm of Hupy & Abraham we have trained 300 plus Rescue Riders who will hit the road with you this spring. These new Rescue Riders have been trained how to help fellow bikers who are involved in motorcycle accidents.

It's alarming to see the growing trend in accidents and fatalities across our nation. It's staggering to think that nearly 62,000 of our brothers & sisters died between 1975-2005 and it is only getting worse. The fatality rate from 2005 to 2006 went up over 5%.I am grateful for all of those folks who have invested their time to learn how to directly address this situation. If you see someone on the road with a Rescue Rider logo on their windshield or a Rescue Rider shirt, please take a moment to thank them for their commitment to making the road safer for all bikers.

Are you bummin yet? Don't, as there is something you can do to help. The Rescue Riders is free to join and by joining our program you can do something positive to help address this concern.

So what is the Rescue Rider program? The Rescue Rider program helps us help each other. Rescue Riders provide emergency medical assistance to victims of accidents based upon their training and comfort level. In emergency response there is a term called the "Golden Hour". The "Golden Hour" is the time immediately after an accident in which a victim's survival rate is greatly improved if he or she is in an emergency room within one hour after an accident. As Rescue Riders we play a critical role in this short period of time. Rescue Riders provide emergency assistance until professional emergency responders arrive. What you do in the first few minutes after an accident can literally mean the difference between life & death. If you want to learn more about the Rescue Riders please visit our web site WWW.RescueRiders.ORG.

Well, that's it for this month. When I am not sharing my wisdom with you via my Thunder Roads editorials or running the Rescue Rider program, I run an insurance agency west of Chicago. I enjoy working with fellow bikers helping you protect what matters most. If I can help you please drop me a note at deanakey@allstate.com or give me a call at 877-232-9899. Until next month, enjoy the ride.

Did you know that January is National "Get Organized" month?

If one of your New Year's resolutions was to get organized why not start with a home inventory?

Now that the cork's officially been popped on holiday festivities, millions of Americans are eager to get a head start on all those well-intentioned resolutions they made. Getting organized is often one of the top five goals people aspire to at the start of a new year.

For those who are looking for a more orderly 2009, making a comprehensive home inventory is a vital first step. If you already have a home inventory, the New Year is a great reason to update - especially since many families recently received expensive new Holiday gifts. The home inventory can be a vital tool in the event disaster strikes, such as fire or theft.

Tornadoes, hail, fire and theft can impact area homeowners without any notice and with devastating consequences. An accurate and up-to-date home inventory can not only help you organize your home right now, but also help make the recovery process easier on you and your family should disaster strike.

Six Steps to a Home Inventory

•1. Whenever possible, make sure your home inventory list includes photographs or videotape of belongings. If you have a home video camera, take periodic videos of each room in your house. Focus on individual items in each room. Take additional video of smaller items like jewelry, silver, and related valuables or keepsakes. The same recommendations apply if you're using a conventional camera. Be sure to be thorough when taking pictures of your belongings.

•2. Include with any picture or video home inventory list, a detailed, written account of what you own. Be specific in your written inventory. Whenever possible include make, model, serial numbers, receipts and date of purchase for all items in your home inventory.

•3. If you don't have pictures, a written home inventory list is better than no inventory, but make sure you are as detailed as possible.

•4. Store your home inventory list somewhere away from your home. If you have a bank safety deposit box, keep your list there. If you don't have a safety deposit box, ask a friend or relative to keep your inventory list in a safe place. Lists and information in an electronic format can also be emailed to trusted friends or relatives for safekeeping. Allstate recommends, wherever you store your home inventory list, make sure the location is far enough away from your home it won't be lost in the same event that may destroy your house. However, make sure your home inventory list is kept close enough so that it is easily accessible to you when you need it.

•5. Be sure to update your home inventory after any major purchase or gift. You should be updating your home inventory periodically anyway, but make special effort to do so after any major purchase, holidays, or birthdays.

•6. If time permits, share your home inventory with your insurance agent so that he or she can help you decide if your coverage meets your needs.

I can tell you first hand that having a home inventory can save you quite a bit of work should you experience a loss. I have worked with clients who have lost everything and the process of trying to reconstruct what possessions you have accumulated over many years is very difficult? Do you know how many shoes, screwdrivers and Christmas ornaments you have?

If you aren't ready to itemize everything I also suggest walking thru your house with a video camera and tape everything. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so why not get organized today.

So where is the free home inventory software? Here you go... If you would like to learn more please drop me a note at deanakey@allstate.com or give me a call at 877-232-9899.

It sounds easy. Debt resolution companies offer to get creditors to settle for far less than you owe. All you have to do is give them a couple of thousand dollars up front and make a reasonable monthly payment after that.

But this is what could happen:

* They make no payments on credit cards and other loans for several months, if ever. Your credit card and loan balances explode with late-payment and interest charges.

* You could be plagued with calls from creditors and collection agencies. You could be sued and your wages could be garnished.

* Your credit score plunges. Even if they manage to make a settlement for less money than you owe on an account, the arrangement makes your credit score fall even more.

* By the time you realize they have not kept their promises, you could owe thousands of dollars more than when you signed on to the plan, and they still have your up-front money.

* If you take them to court, you discover that the debt resolution company has no assets. There is no way to recover any of the money you have paid them.

Some non-profit companies do help, but a recent IRS investigation shows that many are not non-profit at all. They send their profits to an associated for-profit debt resolution company. When circumstances have put you into a difficult financial situation, you are far better off to contact creditors personally and try to make a payment schedule you can afford.

Be cautious as if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. If you would like to learn more about this or other personal finance topics please give me a call at 630-232-9811 or drop me a note at deanakey@allstate.com