Woodall & Hoggle Insurance Agency

Happy Friday!! 😀 IT'S NATIONAL HOMEOWNERSHIP🏘 MONTH!!
Author | C. Knighten

Noted as living the "American Dream", we celebrate National Homeownership month during June. All across America communities grow and thrive built around the security that owning a home provides for you and your family! This month not only celebrates the joy of being a homeowner, but also encourages others to make this their dream, too!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL HOMEOWNERSHIP MONTH:
The average American didn't dream of owning a home during the 1800's, until the National Bank Acts of the 1860's. During this time, the U.S. Banking system came into play, paving a way for families to own homes by introducing mortgage loans!

During the Great Depression, banks were did not have funds to lend and the average American didn't have enough cash to buy a home. Worse yet, existing homeowners often lost their homes due to the inability to pay for them! In 1933, U.S. Government stepped in to stabilize the housing market by creating the Homeowners’ Loan Corporation, and later the Federal Housing Administration in 1934, and in 1938. the Federal National Mortgage Association (now known as Fannie Mae). Each of these institutions helped elevate homeownership to new levels and prevented the crash of the housing market!

Another amazing change to the American economy and the housing industry, was the 1944 G.I. Bill. This bill provided subsidized mortgages for the veterans of World War II. In 1968, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act, which became one of the biggest milestones for home ownership to date. Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, this Act banned discrimination in housing based on religion, race, gender, and national origin.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA)has helped more than 44 million citizens become homeowners and has saved America an almost $4 trillion loss of household wealth.

Starting 1995, National Homeownership Week, was a strategy of President Bill Clinton's administration to increase homeownership across America. In 2002, President George W. Bush extended the observance to the full month of June. Noting that living the American Dream should be achievable for all Americans!

CELEBRATING NATIONAL HOMEOWNERSHIP MONTH:
🏘 Get Involved!
Understand the housing market where you live using the really
cool National Association of Home Builders portal:
https://nahbhousingportal.org/
🏘 Volunteer to help with Habitat for Humanity!
Nothing says I care like helping to build a new home for a
deserving family!
🏘 Get involved in your community!
Take a look around.....what needs to be done? Consider helping
with a project for Enable of Madison County! They assist
seniors and the disabled stay in their homes by building ramps
and making other repairs so their homes are functional
and safe!

Woodall & Hoggle Insurance Agency Providing expert coverage in N Alabama since 1951

Guntersville- 1600 Blount Ave
256-582-2131
Boaz- 1

Happy Wednesday!! 😀 IT'S WORLD 🌎ENVIRONMENT DAY!
Author | C. Knighten
Source | Wikipedia

World Environment Day was established by the U.N. (United Nations) in June of 1972.
That founded the celebration to be held every year on June 5th.

Since 1973, it has been a platform for raising awareness on environmental issues such as:
🐢 Marine pollution
👶 Overpopulation
☀️ Global warming
🌴 Sustainable development
🐘 Wildlife crime.

This year World Environment Day is being hosted by Saudi Arabia, and it's focus is on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. 2024's Theme is "Our land. Our future!"

All over the world🌎, ecosystems are threatened. From forests and drylands to farmlands and lakes, natural spaces on which humanity’s existence depends are reaching a tipping point.

According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40% of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world’s population. The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29% since 2000 – without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world's population by 2050.

Land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, which is critical to achieve the "Sustainable Development Goals."

This is why World Environment Day 2024, focuses on land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are .” We cannot turn back time, but we can grow forests🌲, revive water 💧sources, and bring back soils🌱. We are the generation that can make peace with the land.

2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from December 2nd-13th 2024.

WAYS TO CELEBRATE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!
🧋 Initiate the 3R's in your home and business!
Reuse, Reduce and Recycle. Take the time to think sustainably,
and follow the 3 R's.
🌱 Plant a tree!
With just a little effort, we can be a GREEN planet again!
Bringing back forests where man has destroyed them, is a great
start to fixing the issues we are currently facing!
🫗 Conserve Water!
Water is one of our most valuable resources. Use it wisely and
boycott businesses that would contaminate our waterways!
🗑 Volunteer to cleanup!
From waterways, lakes and forests to our own backyards...many
people are oblivious to how nasty they make our environments
and the issues that it causes.

Preventing Pollution in the first place is significant to giving our children and grandchildren a future! Please do your part!

Happy Monday!! 😀
IT'S NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE🚗 SERVICE PROFESSIONAL WEEK!🧔‍♂️
Author | C. Knighten

Annually, we celebrate the National Automotive Professional Week during the second full week of June, however, this year it takes place from June 3rdto 9th. Is there anything worse that your having a car issue when you have a schedule?? From a flat tire to a breakdown on the side of the road, car trouble should be avoided at all cost. The worst, however, is when you are traveling across country and end up stranded in the middle of nowhere! You know, like in National Lampoon's Vacation! Today we have the opportunity to 'thank' those amazing folks who prevent us from having those awful days!!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE PROFESSIONAL WEEK:
We can all thank Henry Ford for introducing us to the amazing innovation of the first car, the Model T in 1908. The sky has been the limit since then, with options and choices to please every taste and budget! Over the years, we have developed more economical cars, smaller and larger cars, and more importantly, cars that have great safety features to help protect your family in the event of an accident.

Tim Zilke, President and C.E.O. of A.S.E., the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence, said, "This week is aimed at recognizing the significant contribution of parts specialists, mechanics, support professionals, and collision technicians who help keep the wheels on the motor industry running and allow the public to get on with their day- to-day commute!"

The A.S.E., was originally established in 1972. Their organization seeks to recognize the amazing people who help us all maintain our vehicles so we can.....get the kids to school🏫, take the dog🐕 to the vet, go buy groceries 🍅or carpool your co-workers to lunch. From personal vehicles to bus🚌 systems provided by municipalities, we all depend on our ability to travel from place to place.

CELEBRATING NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE PROFESSIONAL WEEK:
🙂 Gratitude it always appreciated!
Let your service Guy or Gal know how much you appreciate
them! Bring them a cup of coffee or a box of Krispy Kreme
Donuts....perhaps some homemade cookies!
🚗 Looking for a career change?
If you are good with your hands and working with tools is your
forte', perhaps you should consider training to become a
mechanic. Certified mechanics are needed in every state and
city across the U.S.
🥰 Love your favorite shop?
Google reviews are a great way to show your appreciation!
Give them 5 stars ⭐️and mention the great service you
received....I am certain they will appreciate your efforts!

And remember the age-old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Happy Friday!! 😀 TIS THE SEASON FOR BOATING!!🚤
Author | C. Knighten
Source | Auto Owners

The weather is warm🌞, and we just celebrated Memorial Day.....did you go out on the lake?? Whether you were towing your boat or your camper for a fun-filled family weekend, the first step to having a great time is to be SAFE!

According to Auto Owners, a leading nationwide insurance provider, there are 8 Critical Mistakes you need to avoid:
🔹Only considering your hitch's towing capacity?🧐
From your vehicle manual to the hitch's recommended capacity,
it is best to follow the lower of the two capacities.
🔹Is your hitch the wrong class for your vehicle?
Because a hitch is made to fit your vehicle, does mean your
vehicle can tow the weight the hitches' class is rated for!
🔹Don't underestimate the weight of what you are towing!
Vehicle manuals share the limits you can safely tow. If you are
hauling rock, dirt, equipment or other types of vehicles, be
certain that you are not exceeding your limits!
🔹Understand the 'wear and tear' on your vehicle!
Towing heavy items consistently, will create a greater strain on
your vehicle. You should check your vehicles fluid levels more
frequently and pay closer attention to your brakes, tires and
especially the suspension!
🔹Prevent 'fishtailing'!🐟 (this has nothing to do with fish, by the
way! To avoid this, make sure that you are not loading all of th
weight at the back end of your trailer. Space out your items
and secure them properly.
🔹DIYers......
Yes, you can install a hitch yourself, but we recommend using a
professional service to ensure it is done right the first time!
🔹Don't ASSUME!!😅
Allowing adequate distance for braking is one of the biggest
issues when people tow boats, campers and trailers with
equipment. Always allow a greater distance between you and
other vehicles, for slowing and braking!
🔹Did you Forget Something??😳
Do NOT forget to check your tire 🛞pressure. Reference your
owner's manual to ensure your tires will support the weight you
are towing and are not under-inflated.

It is easy to be excited and not take the time.....but isn't your family, vehicle and equipment important? Rather than hoping you are right, take the time to review the proper steps and ensure everyone's safety before you head out. To read the full report from Auto Owners, please click here: https://tinyurl.com/AO8Mistakes

Have a great weekend and be safe out there!😊

Happy Wednesday!! 😀 IT'S NATIONAL SENIOR 👩‍🦳HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY!

On the last Wednesday of May, we celebrate National Senior Health and Fitness Day. Today is focused on great ways to live your best life for as long as possible! To achieve this, seniors must pay attention to 3 key factors:
🔹Eating a heart healthy diet
🔹Getting plenty of hydration
🔹Keep Moving! The old adage "a body in motion stays in motion" is actually true!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL SENIOR HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY:
National Senior Health and Fitness Day is the largest organized health and wellness movement for senior citizens across the United States! Originally founded by the Mature Market Resource Center, which is a 34-year-old national-level clearinghouse for professionals who work in older adult care.

Their focus is to explore the options that help provide seniors with ways to achieve physical activity, while concentrating on the importance of the benefits of great nutrition. Overall the goal is to help them understand that prevention will help them boost their immunity and energy with a healthy diet. Additionally, regular exercise helps to maintain bone mass, which in turn lowers the risk of other diseases and the possibility of fractures!

Today, due to the changing needs of seniors, we have numerous types of assisted living options. These range from assisted-living communities which provide intermediate care for the elderly who do not require the full services of a nursing home but, cannot live independently.....to, respite care, in-home care, memory care for those with Alzheimer's, and communities for continuing care retirement.

GREAT WAYS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL SENIOR HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY!
👨‍🦳 Spend time with your family!👩‍🦳👨‍🦳
Take the time to visit with them, play a card game or go for a
walk! Celebrate the wonderful seniors in your life.....your
parents, grandparents and in-laws (YES, even the in-laws), will
appreciate you for it!
👨 Volunteer your time!
Retired with nothing to do? Volunteer your time to go visit,
play games or take walks with a senior in a local facility. From
the Veterans home to other facilities, there are those without
family near and the time to you spend with them can
make a world of difference!
🧑‍💻Learn more about healthy habits!
From chair yoga to water exercises🏊 there are many ways to
help you stay fit. Look into growing your own vegetables or
participate in other activities that keep you from stagnating in a
chair! Consider pickle ball, or getting back to playing
golf....no matter what it is, keep your mind and body active, eat
healthy and drink plenty of water......NO, Coffee, Tea and Sodas
do not count!!

Happy Wednesday! 😀 IT'S NATIONAL SAFE BOATING🛥 WEEK!!

From May 22nd-28th we remind people to remember that it is National Safe Boating Week right before we celebrate Memorial Day Weekend! Everyone who owns a boat should take the time to learn more about safe boating practices and how to ensure your loved ones' lives are protected! Gather your family and friends and review Safe Boating Rules to keep everyone safe and have a great time!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK:
From coast to coast, boating, whether on the nearest lake or ocean is a wonderful recreational activity enjoyed by many Americans nationwide. While this is a fun sport to enjoy in numerous ways, it also carries its fair share of hazards, as well!

In 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard* released the latest summary of statistics for recreational boating. This report revealed that there were 636 boating fatalities nationwide in 2022, a 3.3 percent decrease from the 658 deaths in 2021.

🛥 From 2021 to 2022, the total number of accidents decreased 9 percent (4,439 to
4,040), and the number of non-fatal injured victims decreased 15.9 percent (2,641
to 2,222).
🥃 Alcohol continued to be the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating
accidents in 2022, accounting for 88 deaths, or 16 percent of total fatalities.
👨‍🦰 The fatality rate was 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. This
rate represents a 1.8 percent decrease from last year’s fatality rate of 5.5 deaths
per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. (In 1971, when the Safe Boating Act
was first passed, the fatality rate was 20.6 deaths per 100,000 registered
recreational vessels.)
🚤 Property damage totaled $63 million.

TOP 5 CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS
👨‍🦰 Operator inattention
🧒 Operator inexperience
🚤 Improper lookout
🛥 Excessive speed
🚤 Machinery failure

Where the cause of death was known, 75% of fatal boating incident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 85% were not wearing a life jacket.

Steve Sadowski, a Coast Guard Auxiliarist, is the originator of National Safe Boating Week. In 1949, he formed the Courtesy Marine Examination weekend. Later this became National Safe Boating 🛥Week and it was heavily promoted across the U.S. on television shows. On 1957, this week was celebrated from June 30th to July 6th and was pushed to become an annual observance.

During 1958, the National Safe Boating Council was created with the mission of educating people on the importance of safe boating. The "WEAR IT " campaign was promoted during National Safe Boating Week in 2003, to remind people to wear a life jacket while boating. This campaign was adopted across America!

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK
🧑‍🏫 Take a Class!
Whether you are driving the boat or a passenger on a cruise, understanding safe
boating practices may save your life or the lives of others! Check with:
https://www.alea.gov/ to find local safety classes!
🛥 Plan an excursion!
Gather your family and friends and plan a fishing trip! Be certain to have plenty
of life jackets for all of your passengers. And note, adult size life jackets are not
recommended for small children!
🛥 Share your destination!
As a safety precaution, someone other than the people traveling with you, should
know your destination, proposed travel route, time of departure and time of
return. This precaution will come in handy, if you are stranded and do not have a
cell phone signal!

Happy Monday!! 😀 It's NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS👷 WEEK!

National Public Works Week recognizes the planning, building, and management of local communities that keep our cities running smoothly day in and day out.

The responsibilities of the public works department come in many forms. No matter the city, it is a massive and necessary undertaking. Every employee plays their part in providing the infrastructure necessary to keep our city 🏢running smoothly.

The people in the public works department wear many hats, some literally! These diverse departments work in harmony to keep our city and communities operational, safe, and productive.

MANY OF THESE DEPARTMENTS INCLUDE:
🚛Transportation
🚽Wastewater
⛺️Parks & Recreation
🧑‍🚒Emergency Management
⚡️Utilities
🗺GIS
🚓leet Services
👮‍♂️Police Department
🌲Forestry
👨‍🔧Building Maintenance....and many more!!

While not all public works are as big as the one in Houston, Texas🐂 (the largest in the United States), they all serve the people of the communities where they live. The week recognizes their dedication and the often arduous task of taking care of a city and the people who live there.

CELEBRATING HUNTSVILLES PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS:
🧑‍🚒 Recognize those who've done exemplary work for the city.
👮‍♀️ Thank a public works employee you know.
👩‍💻 Visit the American Public Works Association website to find resources and this
year's theme.
👩 Consider a public works career.
💻 Learn all the departments.

Happy Friday!! 😀 IT'S NATIONAL ENDANGERED SPECIES🐘DAY!
Author | C. Knighten

On May 17th conservationist and animal lovers unite to celebrate and bring awareness to the extremeseveral animals on the Endangered Species List! During the mid-1800's environmental conservation became a public concern. However, it wasn't until 1973 that the America’s Endangered Species Act sparked both domestic and international conservation by providing a structure for protection.

While there are those who would simply have us live by Darwin's Theory of natural selection, there are even more who believe that man should take responsibility for his impact on our planet🌎and the numerous ecosystems that has polluted and destroyed.

The Dodo🦤 bird was one of the first species that man took notice of becoming extinct. Scientists belive the dodo's disappearance occurred during 1662. In the year 1903, one of the great conservaitionist and former Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, set up the first National Wildlife Refuge on Pelican Island in Florida. The objective was to resrtrict mans nature to build everywhere and to preserve the habitat of the numerous bird species living there! At this time, there re 16 different bird species who call Pelican Island sanctuary, home.

In 1914 the Passenger Pigeon became extinct . AT one time, they were the most abundant birds in our Nation. However, deforestation and massive hunting of this species resulted in it's unfortunate demise.

Today there are numerous species on the Endangered List. They range from the African Forest Elephant🐘, which is classified as Critically Endangered to the Great Panda🐼 and, yes, the Great White Shark🦈.....even if that is hard to imagine such a predator being endangered. Each species, whether on land or in the water, plays an important part in our world's ecosystems.

OBSERVING NATIONAL DANGERED SPECIES 🐢DAY:
🌎 Learn more by visiting the WWF!
The World Wildlife Foundation maintains a list of the all the species that are
endangered on our world. Here is their website url:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species
👩 Make a donation!
Every dollar you give will help to preserve the amazing species
our children, grandchildren, and future generations should be
able to enjoy!
👨 Volunteer at a local nature center!
From the Land Trust to Wheeler Wildlife Preserve their are
numerous options to choose from. Make a point to visit each
over the summer. It is a great way to introduce your children
to nature!
🚶 Take a walk or hike on a Nature Trail!
Whether you bike, walk, hike or canoe, time spent in the
natural world around you is efreshing. Pick up a book to help
you identify different bird species....it will make your adventure
feel like a safari!
🧑‍💻 Learn what you can do to help!
Preserving our local ecosystems is as important as all the
others. We must start somewhere and in our own backyards is
a good beginning!

Happy Wednesday!! 😀 IT'S SENIOR👩‍🦳FRAUD AWARENESS DAY!
Author | C. Knighten

Observed on May 15th each year, National Senior Fraud Awareness Day was created to raise awareness to the vulnerability of seniors and the fraudulent schemes they can fall prey to! According to the FBI, $36.5 billion in fraudulent scams targeting seniors occured in 2023. The average cost per person was a monster $ 33,915. This number has increased substantially since 2022, with an overall 11% increase!😳

The U.S. Congress established National Senior Fraud Awareness Day to create greater awareness around the need to ensure the safety of elderly U.S. residents. Established in 2018 National Senior Fraud Awareness Day is a fairly new holiday, but a very important one when considering the alarming financial impact on the lives of seniors!

HISTORY OF FINANCIAL FRAUD:
Surprisingly enough, fraudulent practices have been around since 300 B.C.! A Greek merchant name Hegestratos, took out an insurance policy, titled "bottomry". The loan or insurance was based on he and his crew delivering a cargo shipment and once completed he would return the loan with interest. However, Hegestratos was not an honest man, and had planned from the beginning to sink an empty ship, secretly sell the cargo, and keep the loan?! Ultimately, he drowned trying to escape with his crew!

Have you ever heard the term "Ponzi Scheme"? In the 1920's, Charles Ponzi, promised inflated returns to his investors. Ponzi figured out that he could purchase Postal Vouchers in the U.S., ship them abroad and make a 5% return. However, he promised his investors a 50% return for their money! The cash flow was awesome, so he used part of it pay off earlier investors and flee the country! People were in utter shock that such a scam could have happened at all, thus the phrase "Ponzi Scheme"!

STATISTICAL DATA FOR SENIOR FRAUD ACCORDING TO THE FBI:
1. Tech Support Scams 💻
Loss of funds: $590 Million
2. Personal Data Breaches 📲
3. Confidence and Romance ❤️Scams
4. Non-Payment and Non-Delivery🎁 Scams
5. Investment Scams💲
6. Business Email Scams💻
7. Government Impersonation Scams🕵️‍♂️

The bottomline is that technology has made us more vulmerable than ever to those who are technically capable of hacking your desktop, laptop and even your smart phone!

PROTECTING YOURSELF AGAINST SCAMS:
💻 Learn about current scams!
Check the FBI website for current scams and stay informed to protect yourself.
👩‍🦳 Protect the Seniors in your Life!
As our parents and grandparents age, it becomes even more important to be
involved in their lives to protect them from scammers! Set up 2 step
authentication and be sure to walk them through this process for logging into
their accounts to ensure that they have access.

There are many resources online that can offer assistance from keeping you informed of the current scams to where you can report an financial act of fraud. Please do not be embarrassed if you have been taken advantage of.....it happens to all age groups. Most importantly, you sharing this, may help prevent someone else from losing their life savings!!

To learn more, please click here: https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-fraud

Woodall & Hoggle Insurance Agency Providing expert coverage in N Alabama since 1951

Guntersville- 1600 Blount Ave
256-582-2131
Boaz- 1