IOA Personal Lines Newsletter
November 2007
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Volume 1, Issue 3
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Holiday Shopping Tips
From paying with cash to saving coins in a jar, these tricks will help you avoid going deep into debt buying gifts this year:
- Pay cash. No, that's not hopelessly old-fashioned. It will make you think twice when you go to buy something.
- Know thy enemy. If you're going to pay by credit card, use the one with the most favorable terms. Know what the interest rate is on all of your cards.
- Keep a running tally of your check account spending. When you come home from a day of shopping, immediately subtract what you've spent from your checking-account balance. This will give you a visual record of how much you've spent.
- Get easy gifts out of the way early. Set aside money for cash gifts -- to the paper boy, the babysitter, the hairdresser, the trash collectors, out-of-town nephews -- before Thanksgiving. That way those presents don't have to come out of your December shopping budget.
- Make a list. Writing down which stores you'll visit and which gifts you plan to buy helps focus your shopping excursion and makes the chore more pleasant because you don't get caught up in holiday hysteria.
- Think outside the gift box. Plenty of alternatives are less expensive, and more fun, than buying a gift for every sibling, in-law, niece and nephew. Instead, have a family gift exchange in which you each choose one name and put more thought than money into selecting a single gift.
Car Safety Tips for Holiday Shopping
- Avoid parking next to vans and trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows.
- Shop with a friend or family member - having a friend walk to and from the parking lot with you will help keep you both safe and sound.
- Get into the car, lock the doors and exit the area immediately. Criminals prey on shoppers who sit in their cars to make phone calls or review their purchases for the day.
- Condense your packages into one or two bags to create the illusion that you did not purchase so many valuable (and theft-worthy) items.
Holiday Safety Tips for the Home
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of reach of children.
- Get an automatic timer for your lights. Give the appearance that your home is occupied.
- Plan for safety. Remember, there is no substitute for common sense. Look for and eliminate potential danger spots near candles, fireplaces, trees, and/or electrical connections.
- Test all smoke detectors in the house to make sure they are in proper working order. Be sure that all family members know how to call the Fire Department, and make an escape plan so that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency.
Community Corner
The IOA Foundation, Inc. believes that corporate social responsibility is the building block that paves the road to a company’s success.
Some of our recent and current endeavors include:
- Toys For Tots – IOA Is Now A Designated Drop Off Site For The Toys For Tots Program. We Will Be Accepting Toys From November 12th To December 5th.
- Harvest Time International Food Drive – 750 Items Donated By Ioa Employees And Volunteering To Help Stock Their Shelves For The Holidays.
- For The Troops – We Recently Sent Care Packages To The Marines Of Mwcs-28, Alpha Co. Wire Platoon; We Have Just Completed Collecting Candy For The Troops; We Will Be Donating Items For Gift Bags To Go To 1st Lt Jonathan Castillo And His Platoon At Al Asad Air Base.
To See A List Of The Many Other Organizations We Assist During The Year, Please See The Community Involvement Section Of Our Website At www.ioausa.com.
To contact the IOA Personal Lines Department, call (800) 243-6899, ext. 5149.
This document is advisory in nature. Neither IOA nor its employees shall be liable to any party for the use of any information made or contained in any evaluation, report, or recommendation.