Farmers News and Information

November 29, 2007

 1. FARMERS INSURANCE TRIES TO GUIDE BURNED-OUT HOMEOWNERS, AS THEY BEGIN INSURANCE PROCESS. Keith Darce. San Diego Union-Tribune. 2007/11/29. More than a month after wildfires destroyed more than 1,700 homes in San Diego County, many victims remain in reconstruction limbo, uncertain whether their insurance policies will provide enough coverage to restore their homes. Inadequate insurance hasn't yet emerged as the major issue it became after the 2003 Cedar and Paradise fires that burned more than 2,400 homes in the county. The earlier fires might have spurred homeowners to check their coverage, while insurers, consumer groups and regulators embarked on educational campaigns about updating coverage and the limits of insurance. Or it might just be too early in the rebuilding process. Conditions could change in the coming months as more victims of the recent fires perform the calculus that will tell them whether insurance checks will provide enough cash to rebuild. State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who meets with wildfire victims tonight in Ramona, said most of the 30 county fire victims who have contacted his office have complained about delays in seeing an adjuster or in receiving payments to cover temporary living expenses. That compares with the 249 complaints that the Department of Insurance received in 2003. "So far, so good," Poizner said in an interview yesterday. "It's a little bit early before we can conclude whether there is going to be a problem with underinsurance this time." San Diego homeowners who suffered losses in the recent fires have filed 21,593 claims with insurers, but only 925 of those involve houses that were destroyed, according to the state Department of Insurance. Some people who lost homes were uninsured, while others haven't yet filed claims. Policies typically cover rebuilding costs up to a certain amount, with limited provisions for extra costs. Policies also include mechanisms to adjust coverage for inflation, but other factors that increase rebuilding costs are often overlooked. Renovations increase the cost of rebuilding a house, as do higher prices for construction materials, which have risen by as much as 35 percent in Southern California in recent years. Another problem can surface when replacing an older home that had outdated electrical and plumbing systems. The costs of meeting current building-code standards aren't covered by the typical homeowners policy and must be added as a special item. Insurance companies and their local agents say they have done more in recent years to encourage homeowners to update their coverage levels on a regular basis, particularly in fire-prone Southern California . "It feels like that's all I've talked about for the last four years," said Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network of California, a Los Angeles-based industry group. "There has definitely been a strong communications push on that front." One example is a four-page brochure titled, " Make Sure You're Not Under-Insured ," that has been mailed annually by Farmers Insurance Group to policy holders since 2005. Still, about 58 percent of all U.S. homes were underinsured by an average 21 percent in 2006, according to Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, a consulting firm that provides construction cost estimates to the insurance industry. To read more of this story, click the following link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20071129-9999-1b29fire.html

FARMERS TO THE RESCUE - FIREFIGHTER AND INSURANCE AGENT IN ONE PACKAGE, ASSISTING IN MALIBU FIRES! Frank Somerville & Elizabeth Espinosa . KTVU-TV (Fox) Channel 2. Oakland . Morning on Two. 2007/11/26.

FRANK SOMERVILLE, co-anchor: Favorable weather and an aerial assault is helping firefighters make a lot of progress against a huge fire that destroyed more than 50 homes along winding canyon roads. It’s the second major fire in Malibu in as many months. Reporter Elizabeth Espinosa is live in Malibu now with more on the situation. How are they doing now, getting that fire under control, Elizabeth ?

ELIZABETH ESPINOSA reporting: Here we go again, right, Frank? Good morning everybody. It is just so tough to believe. I mean, being from Los Angeles , Southern California area, it just seems that we finish up with one fire and another one happens. OK, so take a look behind me. This is a command post. And we cannot emphasize enough--go ahead, gentlemen--what a great job all these firefighters have done. You’ve got firefighters from, you know, the northern part of the state, from where you are from. Also, we’ve got Compton out here, Tulare , I--there’s just so many to name. But here’s the latest. We know of 90 percent containment right now, so that’s good news. They’re expecting full containment by tonight. Now, the cost to fight the blaze is up at $5.4 million. Right now, they’ve got about a thousand--it’s about 1,158, so, almost 1,200 firefighters out on the line. Eight firefighters sustained minor injuries, OK? Now, 53 homes were lost, 27 outbuildings lost. You’ve got to realize that in the Corral Canyon area, in the Latigo Canyon area, there are only--you know, it’s one way in, one way out. And what’s so tough to believe is you’ve got people out here who survived last month’s blaze, and then this time weren’t so lucky. Now, Brett, can you show the castle--if you guys can come back to us live, I’m just going to show you, this is Castle Kilshaw, which you may recall from last time we talked about a fire here in Southern California . Well, you know, that’s one place we lost. And, of course, it’s happened again, there’s so many homes. And just really quickly, I’ve got Bart, I understand. Bart, can you come over here really quick, please? The other side, OK Bart, that’s all right. You’re a--I understand you live here.

Mr. BART BAKER ( Farmers Insurance Agent and Retired Firefighter): Yeah.

ESPINOSA: And you jumped on the roof of your neighbor’s house because you’re actually a Farmers Insurance agent but a retired firefighter, and you got your old gear out.

Mr. BAKER: Right. I am an agent with Farmers Insurance. I’m a retired LA County fireman. And woke up on the morning of the fire, and my wife and I started calling around to see who was, you know, in trouble and needed help. And I got in touch with a customer of ours, Bill O’Leary, lives down the street--he’s not my next-door neighbor. And so I got my gear on and had to make it up to his house, which was a challenge because everything was burning around him.

ESPINOSA: Well, and you know, people don’t realize, if you’re not from this area, is that those canyons, it’s so narrow, and it is really remarkable to see when some homes were just completely lost and yet others were untouched.

Mr. BAKER: Right.

ESPINOSA: And they’re so close, you know, in terms of space.

Mr. BAKER: Right. And with Bill’s house, it’s a 10,000 square-foot home that just got finished being built. And it was totally in flames. And we couldn’t drive up there, so I had to park and walk. And--but we, you know, finally made it to his house and we were able to move the stuff away and use, you know, dirt and the little water that we had and save his house.

ESPINOSA: And so, planning on rebuilding, what do you think? You’re an insurance agent, any advice to folks?

Mr. BAKER: Well, as far as living in Malibu , people live here because we want to, so if anybody lost their homes I could tell from past experience that people will rebuild. And, you know, hopefully people have carriers like Farmers to protect and they will be able to rebuild, and they’ll get taken care of.

ESPINOSA: All right, Bart Baker, thank you so much. Good plug. There you go - firefighter and insurance agent. To view this segment, click on the link below and once in, JUST click the “Play Clip” button to automatically see the 5:00 minute clip: http://www.vmsdigital.com/MyFiles_Detail.aspx?mediaId=212083&onum=A2020064-C555-4464-BD8E-70006A1E3B86
 

1. FIRES DESTROY OR DAMAGE MORE THAN 80 HOMES IN MALIBU, BUT FARMERS AGENT BART BAKER ‘OUTS’ SOME OF THE FLAMES. Chad Hemenway. BestWire. 2007/11/26. It pays to have a good relationship with your insurance agent, especially when your home in California is surrounded by flames that have destroyed or damaged more than 80 homes and your agent is a retired firefighter. Bart Baker , a Farmers Insurance Group agent and owner of Malibu, Calif.-based B.W. Baker Insurance Agency, quickly donned his old Los Angeles County firefighter gear Nov. 24 and rushed to the home of customer Will O’Leary on the morning of Nov. 24. O’Leary had told his wife to take the pets and evacuate while he stayed behind to look after the home he purchased just three months ago, Baker said. "He wasn’t about to lose that house," said Baker, who added the scene was like a "war zone" with propane tanks exploding and flames crossing the road. "We got up on the roof and kept putting the embers out — stomping them out." O’Leary, with the help of Baker, was able to save his home. Others were not so lucky as fires once again ravaged California, this time within an area of high-risk, multimillion dollar homes in Malibu, some reportedly owned by Hollywood’s elite. As of Nov. 26, about 90% of what is being called the Corral Fire was contained but not before flames leveled 53 homes and partially damaged 34 others since it began about 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 24, according to Mike Harris, spokesman with the California FAIR Plan, which insures 422 homes in the affected area. "We have a total of about $268 million in exposure," said Harris. "We’ve received 10 total losses so far." Harris said the state’s FAIR Plan could have the majority of the losses, along with Fireman’s Fund, American International Group and Chubb — all who write in the luxury home market. Farmers spokesman Jerry Davies said the company’s mobile catastrophe claims center bus was in Malibu the afternoon of Nov. 25 to assist customers. Farmers has about 1,000 homeowners policies in the affected area and the company had received four claims, although he did not know the severity of them, he said. To go to the entire story, click this link : http://www3.ambest.com/BestDayNews/LoadStory.asp?BSN=110033
   
    
2. MALIBU FIRE EMERGENCY CONTACTS, INFORMATION - FARMERS ’ MOBILE CATASTROPHE BUS FEATURED. No Byline. The Malibu Times . 2007/11/26 . Those who have lost their pets or animals can call 888.738.7911 or visit www.pets911.com to find phone numbers and locations of animal shelters or agencies nearby. A state-of-the-art mobile insurance bus from Farmers Insurance will arrive in Malibu between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday to assist those affected by the fire. The bus will be parked on Pacific Coast Highway at the corner of Heathercliff Road . For more information, call 310.457.5092. The Petfinder.com Foundation Web site at www.petfinder.com/disaster updates statistics and contact information for animal shelters and rescued pets. The foundation has also set up a 24-hour call center to link evacuees with volunteers willing to provide a temporary home for a displaced pet. You can search for a foster provider on the Web site or call 866.654.4732.
   
    
3. FARMERS HAS HIGHEST CLAIMS TALLY: WILDFIRE LOSS CHART (Update1). Erik Holm. Bloomberg News. 2007/11/ 21. Insurers led by Farmers Insurance Group reported a combined total of more than 24,000 claims from the wildfires and hurricane-force winds that struck southern California last month. Farmers, a unit of Zurich Financial Services AG , has 7,300 residential claims, spokesman Jerry Davies said. Policyholder-owned State Farm Mutual Insurance Co., the largest home insurer in California , had 5,497, including more than 400 from homes declared uninhabitable, spokesman Fraser Engerman said today. Insurers may pay between $900 million and $1.6 billion to compensate policyholders, according to an estimate from Risk Management Solutions, a catastrophe modeling firm based in Newark , California . The fire caused as many as 1 million people to flee their homes in the largest evacuation in California ’s history. At least four insurers, led by American International Group Inc., have estimated costs totaling more than $360 million. New York-based AIG, the world’s largest insurer, said it expects losses from the disaster of $220 million before tax. Allstate Corp., Travelers Cos., Liberty Mutual Group and Unitrin Inc. said they expected to disclose their estimates of wildfire losses when they release fourth-quarter results. Allstate is the third-largest home insurer in the state, with a 13 percent market share. Balboa Insurance Group parent Countrywide Financial Corp. and Pacific Specialty Insurance Co. didn’t return calls. Notes: -- Some company names have been abbreviated for space. -- -- Market share data are from a ranking of 2006 homeowner written premium by A.M. Best Co. * From an interview with the company. (a) California State Auto Group insures homes and cars in northern California , Nevada and Utah . It reported no claims from the southern California wildfires. (b)Auto Club Enterprises insures homes and cars in only the southern half of California . Its numbers include some auto claims. (c) Includes claims for commercial property. (d) Century National’s claims include only fire losses. Claims numbers are for residential wind and fire claims, and don’t include auto claims unless otherwise noted. The table below tracks estimated losses by California home insurers from the wildfires and winds.
   
   State Farm Mutual* 5,497 11/19 22%
   
   Farmers Insurance Group* 7,300 11/19 17%
   
   California State Auto Group* 0(a) 11/19 6.3%
   
   USAA Group* 3,850 11/14 4.4%
   
   Auto Club Enterprises* 4,512(b) 11/19 4.0%
   
   Nationwide Group* 1,205 11/12 3.5%
   
   Mercury General Group 866 11/5 3.0%
   
   Safeco Insurance Co. $35 m (c) 11/9 2.8%
   
   Allianz of America * 400 $88 m 11/13 2.5%
   
   Hartford Insurance Cos.* 537 11/13 1.6%
   
   American Int’l Group Inc. $220 m (c) 11/8 1.4%
   
   First American Corp. $20 m 11/1 1.3%
   
   Century-National Ins. Co.* 279(d) 11/14 1.3%
   
   Chubb Corp. 25 10/23 1.1%

1. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES UNDER CONTROL; 80 STRUCTURES DESTROYED, FARMERS ON THE SCENE . No Byline. MarketWatch. 2007/11/26. Wildfires fueled by dry weather and winds that have destroyed 80 structures in Southern California’s Malibu area are 70% under control, according to fire officials. Full containment is expected Monday evening, the Los Angeles County fire department reported on its Web site. "The temperatures are cooling and winds have died down considerably," Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Ron Haralson was quoted as saying in news reports Sunday. "We’re in pretty good shape." The blazes, which have burned more than 4,700 acres, come less than a month after a series of devastating firestorms ripped through the region. These latest flare-ups apparently are the result of human activity and considered "suspicious," according to the department. About 1,400 firefighters were involved at last check, the department said on its Web site. The fires prompted mandatory evacuations, which were lifted at 8 p.m. Pacific time Sunday. Farmers Insurance Group of Companies said in a statement Saturday that it had deployed claims teams to the Malibu area to assist victims.
   
    
2. MALIBU FARMERS INSURANCE AGENT BART BAKER, RETIRED FIREFIGHTER, HELPS SAVE CUSTOMER’S HOME. No Byline. Globe Investor. 2007/11/25. Farmers Insurance Group of Companies Malibu agent Bart Baker , a retired California firefighter, donned his firefighters gear Saturday morning November 24th, and at the height of the Santa Ana wind-driven flames engulfing homes in Malibu , he helped one of his customers save his home. ‘We couldn’t be more proud of Bart,’ noted Farmers CEO Paul N. Hopkins . ‘His actions typify the caring spirit of all Farmers agents, claims personnel and employees who are in the Malibu area helping all of our customers at their greatest time of need.’ In addition, the Farmers Mobile Catastrophe Claims Bus has arrived and will be available to help customers tomorrow, Monday, November 26th beginning at 7:00 a.m. The claims bus will be located at: 29138 Heathercliff, Malibu , CA 90265 --in front of the Pritchet-Rapf Real Estate Office (corner of Heathercliff and Pacific Coast Highway ). This story also ran on other national media outlets such as : Yahoo! News; MarketWatch.com; Digital50; Calibre MacroWorld; Investor.com; News & Observer Online; and Evergreen Investments.
   
    
3. INSURERS ASKED TO HELP CUT RISK; FARMERS STEPS UP TO THE PLATE: The State Fire And Insurance Agencies Agree To Work With Companies To Reduce Losses . Kimberly Trone & Ben Goad. The Press-Enterprise. 2007/11/11. As thousands of Southern Californians sift through the blackened rubble of homes and businesses destroyed in last month’s firestorms, state officials are calling on insurers to assume a greater role in reducing property losses from wildfire disasters. In a partnership billed as the first of its kind in the nation, State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and Cal Fire Director Ruben Grijalva have formally agreed to educate lawmakers, underwriters and property inspectors on strategies to reduce California ’s fire risk. The plan calls for Cal Fire to provide insurers with its updated maps of hazardous areas, their proximity to fire stations and water supplies, and detailed information about past efforts to reduce the fire threat in those areas. The move comes at a time when the cost of property insurance premiums in California are declining but as property owners in fire-hazard areas are facing greater difficulty finding insurers to write policies. Kate Dargan, state fire marshal for Cal Fire, said insurers are focused on risk maps but not on hazard maps, and the two are not the same. Communities can exist in fire-hazard areas but should exercise good practices such as clearing for defensible space, improved building codes, water delivery, communications and firefighting systems, Dargan said. "If you do all of that, you might have low risk," she said. The program is in its very fledgling stages and Dargan estimated it would take three years to completely roll out. There currently is no cost estimate. Dargan called the plan "extraordinarily significant," saying it furthers her agency’s goal of protecting lives and property and the insurance industry’s goal of minimizing costs and providing economic recovery after a wildfire. More than $100 million is spent each year on fire suppression in a state that has grown increasingly combustible from tinder-dry fuels, sustained drought and more than 5 million homes encroaching on fire-prone wildernesses. Property damage costs from California wildfires also continue to climb, surpassing an annual average of $200 million. "The insurance industry is trying to motivate homeowners to get with the program," Dargan said. Sam Sorich, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies, said the partnership has the potential to bring continuity to the way insurance companies assess risk in fire-prone areas under a single, comprehensive plan. Sorich said companies, which have been grappling individually with fire threat in recent years, would benefit from the provisions outlined in the partnership between Cal Fire and the California Department of Insurance. INSURANCE COMPANIES BENEFIT - Particularly valuable to insurance companies, he said, would be access to new information such as the maps and training of property inspectors by fire officials outlined in the memorandum between Grijalva and Poizner. Under the agreement, insurance companies would have access to the maps, as well as a one-day educational course for insurance policymakers, underwriters and property inspectors to teach effective ways to reduce the threat of losses. HARDER TO GET COVERAGE - Despite assertions that California ’s property insurance market has not been dissuaded from doing business in the disaster-ridden state, some homeowners are finding it more and more difficult to obtain coverage. Allstate Insurance has stopped underwriting new homeowners policies in the Golden State , a move Kimbrough called "short sighted." In the 18 months since Alana Zeller’s family moved from Simi Valley - where a 2005 wildfire threatened their home - they’ve had trouble insuring their new home in rural Southwest Riverside County near the Santa Rosa Plateau. Their first carrier, Fireman’s Fund, dumped them because the Zellers’ home did not have an alarm system to notify the fire department. They then turned to State Farm. But when an inspector showed up two weeks after the policy was written, he cancelled their coverage because an adjacent undeveloped lot was covered in thick brush. Finally, Farmers Insurance agreed to cover them, Zeller said, at an even cheaper rate than State Farm. But finding another carrier doesn’t erase the uncertainty, she said. "People warned us insurance might be difficult to get out here," Zeller said.
   
    
4. GASOLINE DEMAND PRIMARILY INELASTIC. Farmers Study Shows High Gasoline Prices Impact Driving Habits . Brian L. Milne . DTN (The OilSpot News). 2007/11/19. Farmers Insurance , an insurance company with Farmers Group, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, released preliminary results of an analysis that show high gasoline prices are having an impact on the decisions made by consumers in the United States . The report said high gasoline prices are affecting the vehicle miles traveled, choices of transportation and driving habits of drivers in the country. “Our preliminary study shows that one aspect of higher gasoline prices has affected our customers’ choices for transportation. For example, nearly 12,000 of our customers in many of our states have purchased hybrid vehicles,” said Kevin Mabe , Farmers Insurance economist. The analysis includes an economic demand model of vehicle miles traveled that controls for effects of income, gasoline prices, and the price of an alternative method of transportation, such as air travel. The model excludes other factors that affect the quantity of driving, such as car prices and maintenance costs, because of their strong relationship with income and gasoline prices. The Farmers analysis estimates that quantity of driving is highly inelastic with respect to gasoline prices, which agrees with many other academic and industry studies. “As gasoline prices rise, consumers have cut back on their driving, but only slightly,” Mabe explains. “Instead, consumers have curtailed spending on other discretionary expenditures such as entertainment in order to maintain their level of driving, especially in the short run. Work commutes, trips to school, and excursions to the grocery store must still occur without significant interruption, even in the face of higher gasoline prices,” he said. The analysis also estimates the impact of higher gasoline prices on vehicle miles traveled since 2003. Had the trend of gasoline prices from 1979 to 2002 remained stable without the recent run-up of prices, the analysis suggests that vehicle miles traveled would have been nearly 2 percent higher than what actually occurred from 2003 to 2007 when over 250 billion vehicle miles were driven. “Higher gas prices have begun to persuade drivers to begin to change their driving habits, both in terms of lengths and frequency of trips as well as choice of vehicle,” said Mabe. “Furthermore, the more that consumers decrease their driving because of higher gasoline prices, the lower the probability of a collision.” Frequency of auto claims drop, on the margin, during periods of sustained high gasoline prices. In the long run, consumers have more flexibility to respond more dramatically to sustained elevated gasoline prices, such as using a more fuel-efficient vehicle or even moving closer to work or school. “We hope to soon enhance this analysis by addressing both the short- and long-run effect of high gasoline prices and explore alternative theories of consumers’ response patterns,” Mabe said. Go directly to the article, click here : http://oilspot2.dtnenergy.com/e_article000953757.cfm?x=bbF95L0,b1n7Mtw0

NOTE : The Daily News Briefs (DNBs) will not be published on November 22 and 23 .  Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday weekend !

1. FIREFIGHTERS STICKING TOGETHER, WITH THE HELP OF FARMERS INSURANCE COVERAGE . Paul Bloom & Doug Curlee. KUSI-TV (IND) Channel 51. San Diego. KUSI News At Six. 2007/11/12.
   
   PAUL BLOOM, co-anchor: More than a few of the firefighters who fought so hard to save our homes were themselves victims of the firestorms as well. One San Diego firefighter started the work of cleaning up and rebuilding today in the hills west of Ramona with a lot of help from his friends. KUSI’s Doug Curlee is in the newsroom with more on that. Doug.
   
   DOUG CURLEE reporting: A whole lot of help from a whole lot of friends. You know, you could easily see why Zac and Gina Valade wanted to build their dream home atop a ridge off Highland Valley Road west of Ramona. The view alone is worth it. But that dream came to a temporary end on the first day of the Witch Creek fire as the flames westward through the entire area. Zac and Gina Valade, who lived with their children in a trailer on the site for four years while they built their dream, will rebuild it right where it sits. But this is not just a story of a nearly finished home destroyed. It’s more a story of the brotherhood that exists among firefighters. In a lot of conversations you will hear the phrase, ’Well, what are friends for?’ This is what friends are for. Zac asked if a few friends from Station 15 in North Park could come out and try to help him get the recovery process underway, never anticipating what would happen.Very nearly a hundred firefighters and their families drove up the narrow, twisting dirt roadway. And they descended on the site like a battalion of Navy Seabees. Zac was almost reduced to tears by the response. But when he thought about it, he wasn’t that surprised.
   
   Mr. ZAC VALADE (Firefighter): I asked for a few friends to help me out, stack a few bricks, maybe clean up a little bit, maybe bring a few Dumpsters to take out some of the bigger things. But, I mean, these guys are actually doing more than I’d ever expect.
   
   CURLEE: Gina Valade knew she was marrying into a tight-knit group of people, but again, nothing like this.
   
   Mrs. GINA VALADE (Firefighter’s Wife): Yeah, we have all this support. It’s wonderful. And we have to do it, we don’t have a choice. So we’re going to rebuild.
   
   CURLEE: Every firefighter here is taking regular days off, personal time, vacation time, to help a brother firefighter in desperate need. Tony Deliva retired from the San Diego Fire Department three years ago, but there was never a moment’s question in his mind when the word went out that Zac needed help.
   
   Mr. TONY DELIVA (Retired Firefighter): And it’s an extension even when you’re retired, you know? So, it’s not many jobs that have that, you know, so it’s a unique thing to have, to be a part of it.
   
   CURLEE: The heat damaged the foundation of the home so badly that Zac will have to go down to bare dirt and start all over. He will, and his friends will be there again whenever. That’s just how it works with the fire service. Yeah, it is. And there’s another firefighter with a destroyed home, not too far from Zac Valade’s. He’ll be getting the same kind of help from all those brother firefighters later this week. Live in the newsroom, I’m Doug Curlee, back to you.
   
   BLOOM: Doug, did these people have enough insurance? We hear about some other people who didn’t have enough coverage. He’s building a brand-new home. Did he have enough insurance to at least take care of that part of it?
   
   CURLEE: Yeah, I talked to Zac about that and he said the Farmers ’ agent in Ramona that he’s with has been really, really good about it. And it looks as though they’re going to be OK in that respect. Some people aren’t; Zac and Gina got lucky. They’re going to be fine.
   
   BLOOM: All right. Thanks, Doug.
   
   CURLEE: You bet.
   
    
2. ACCORDING TO FARMERS ’ STUDY, BUCKLE UP SEAT BELTS REMAIN THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT FATAL ACCIDENTS. Laura Walter. Occupational Hazards. 2007/11/21. In a study of fatal crash data released by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), Farmers Insurance revealed that drivers who wear seat belts reduce their odds of being in a fatal crash by nearly 70 percent, compared to those who do not wear seat belts. Kevin Mabe, the Farmers Insurance economist who conducted the study, found that wearing a seat belt continues to be the most significant factor in preventing multi-vehicle fatalities. Once again, we find strong statistical evidence that seat belts remain the most important protection for the driver, he said. While analyzing the 2006 DOT crash data, Farmers Insurance incorporated 41 variables, including driver demographics, vehicle safety features, road and traffic conditions and the locations and times of the accidents to produce a comprehensive study. Controlling for these additional external factors allows us to more precisely isolate the degree to which safety belts save lives, Mabe said. The study also revealed that rear-end collisions, dry driving conditions and driving larger vehicles help reduce the occurrence of fatal accidents. Driving in winter weather conditions or at night, meanwhile, increased the likelihood of a fatal crash. Nighttime and winter driving tended to produce more deadly accidents, and drivers should continue to exercise additional caution, said Mabe. Drivers involved in accident events such as rollovers, ejections and vehicle fires face a reduced likelihood of surviving the crash. Motorcycle accidents have higher mortality rates than other vehicles, suggesting motorcycle riders should take extra precautions. Several factors that do not seem to impact mortality rates include driver height and weight and the region of the country where the accident took place. Age, however, may play a role: older drivers and young, new drivers are at a higher risk for being in a fatal accident. According to the study, the best way for drivers to reduce their chances of being in fatal accidents is to simply buckle their seat belts at all times. A drivers three-second choice to buckle up will more than double his or her chances to survive a severe accident, Mabe explains. Farmers encourages everyone to take precaution and use their safety belts.

1. FARMERS ’ STUDY: SAFETY BELT USE STILL IMPORTANT. No Byline. Insurance Journal. 2007/11/19. Using the 2006 fatal crash data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance has completed a study to determine the most influential factors in drivers’ mortality rate in multi-vehicle accidents. ’Once again, we find strong statistical evidence that seat belts remain the most important protection for the driver,’ noted Kevin Mabe , Economist at Farmers, who completed the study. ‘We found that when a driver used a seat belt, the odds of a fatality dropped nearly 70 percent compared to a driver who did not.’ Earlier this year, Mabe released a study on 2005 accident data and concluded similar results. The analysis incorporates a logistic econometric model with 41 variables, accounting for factors such as road and traffic conditions at the time of the fatal accident, location and time, accident events, vehicle specifics, driver demographics, and safety features. ‘Controlling for these additional external factors allows us to more precisely isolate the degree to which safety belts save lives,’ Mabe explained. Several other factors showed significance in decreasing the odds of a driver’s death. For example, rear-end collisions proved less deadly than head-on or T-bone collisions. Larger vehicles, such as trucks, SUVs, and vans, appeared to protect the driver better than a typical automobile. Dry roads, in contrast with wet roads, decrease the odds of a fatality by over 10 percent, suggesting that drivers should use caution when navigating slick roads. Other factors increased danger on the roads. ’Nighttime and winter driving tended to produce more deadly accidents, and drivers should continue to exercise additional caution,’ Mabe noteed. Certain accident events, such as rollovers, ejections, and vehicle fires, greatly reduce the survivability in an accident. Motorcycle accidents showed remarkably increased mortality rates compared to other vehicles. ’Not all factors proved predictive,’ Mabe said. Driver height and weight appeared to have little influence on the outcome of the accident. ’However, age plays an important part. Older drivers, as well as young new drivers, have an increased risk.’ The model also showed little evidence of differences between regions of the U.S. ’A driver’s three-second choice to ’buckle up’ will more than double his or her chances to survive a severe accident. Farmers encourages everyone to take precaution and use their safety belts.’ For more information, visit www.farmers.com .
   
    
2. FARMERS INSURANCE AGENTS HELP RAISE MONEY TO PROVIDE FOR OUR TROOPS . Ericka English. KBTV-TV (NBC) Channel 4. Beaumont/Port Arthur. NBC 4 Hometown News At 6. 2007/11/10.
   
   ERICKA ENGLISH, co-anchor: The holidays are just around the corner and some local residents are making sure the troops fighting overseas have a happy season. A group of Farmers Insurance agents joined forces with local service men and women in Beaumont today. The group is raising money to purchase Christmas care packages to send to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan .
   
   Mr. WANE ROSE ( Farmers Insurance ): It’s very hard conditions over there, very limited activities. And every care, and letter, and care packages these guys get over there means a ton to them. And we need everybody’s support to help these guys on our front lines.
   
   ENGLISH: Organizers say to check with local recruiting stations to find out how you can send care packages to troops for the holidays.
    

1. HOW I GOT THE JOB (AT FARMERS ): MATT CLOUD. Sue Dye Babson. Kansas City Star. 2007/11/17.
   
   About the employer: Farmers Insurance is a multi-line insurance company offering products in 41 states. The Olathe office is one of three HelpPoint claims offices.
   
   My role: It consists of several different duties, with the main three being to develop people within my claims division, drive results and work on innovative projects. I am in constant communication with my supervisors and claims representatives to help them with their personal development.
   
   How long have you been in this position?
   
   Since April.
   
   How long have you been employed by this company ?
   
   Five years.
   
   What is your history of work with this company?
   
   I started as a HelpPoint office claims representative, an entry-level position that entails investigating and handling losses from across the country. After progressing to a senior office claims representative within 18 months, I was selected to the claims leadership development program.
   
   After completion of the program, I was selected as a HelpPoint claims supervisor, a position I had for 18 months. Next I obtained a new position as the quality assurance supervisor for the Kansas City HelpPoint. Eight months later, I was promoted to claims administration manager, which I had for six months before being promoted to this claims staff manager position.
   
   How have positions in this company helped you prepare for each new level?
   
   As an office claims representative, I learned how to handle tough situations for our customers and how to communicate in the appropriate manner to offer the best customer experience. In both supervisor roles, I learned very quickly it was all about people and developing them for their next roles. Finally, in the claims administration manager position, I learned how to communicate effectively with upper management and how to facilitate projects.
   
   What was the most important influence in your ability to achieve this particular position?
   
   The opportunities and experiences I was able to obtain with Farmers prior to this position. I gained invaluable on-the-job training from the combination of takeaways, aiding my success in my current role.
   
   Where do you go from here?
   
   As part of my current personal development plan, obtaining a department manager position is my next goal.
   
    
2. INTERNS - FARMERS KNOWS THEY’RE A READY SOURCE OF ENTHUSIASM, RESOURCEFULNESS . Laura Urseny. Chico Enterprise-Record. 2007/11/17. What do about 60 companies many of them local know that other companies don’t? These companies were at Chico State University ’s internship fair last week, talking to about 300 students looking for a foot in the career door. Local companies like FARMERS INSURANCE , ASSOCIATED PENSION CONSULTANTS, GREENFEET and L&W STONE CORP. felt there was a benefit of getting themselves in front of internship-hungry students. Students see the benefit of internships in providing real-world experience in their desired career. That internship just might lead to a local job. Employers can get an enthusiastic person who is especially dedicated to getting experience, and who could work into a fabulous employee. Better yet for an employer, it might not cost a thing. As to the cost to an employer, internships come fashioned as school credit only, pay only, a combo credit and pay, or one with no credit and no pay. Chico State ’s INTERNSHIP CENTER director KEN NAAS has no trouble talking about the great opportunities an internship offers businesses. Naas sees the direct connection to one of Chico ’s much-lamented problems for employers: finding skilled workers. Sometimes it’s difficult for area employers to figure out the way to tap into Chico State . Naas can help. Employers don’t have to wait for an internship fair to connect with him either. He’s at 898-5893. It wasn’t only businesses that saw benefit in the internship fair. Nonprofits were in abundance as well. CHICO PEACE and JUSTICE CENTER ’S director SUE HILDERBRAND was looking for "volunteers." Obviously money is a critical issue to a nonprofit. But Hilderbrand pointed out that college students often bring a "big vision" and technology know-how that the normal volunteer may not. The center is looking for someone to help redesign its Web site, help with marketing, even to do political research. Hilderbrand said she had at least 15 quality conversations with students about their goals and her needs. While students generally don’t get paid if they’re placed with a nonprofit organization, they can get something on their resume that is literally priceless: career experience. Career-track companies tell Naas that a student without some kind of career-related experience on the resume is at a disadvantage. As well as local companies, big corporations at the fair included ADP, Apple, Deloitte, Hyatt Regency, KPMG and Target. Naas is planning his 2008 internship fair for early November.

1. FARMERS INSURANCE STUDIES IMPACT OF GAS PRICES ON DRIVING HABITS. No Byline. Automotive Body Repair News. 2007/11/15. Farmers Insurance has released the results of a preliminary economic analysis of the effect of gasoline prices on vehicle miles traveled, choices of transportation and driving habits by its customers and other drivers in the United States . The study provides a framework to quantify how rising gasoline prices affect vehicle use. In the past few years, and especially this year with oil prices nearing $100 per barrel, media reports on gasoline prices occur daily, noted Kevin Mabe , Farmers Insurance economist. Our preliminary study shows that one aspect of higher gasoline prices has affected our customers choices for transportation. For example, nearly 12,000 of our customers in many of our states have purchased hybrid vehicles and taken advantage of the Farmers automobile insurance policy discount offered for operating a hybrid vehicle. The analysis includes an economic demand model of vehicle miles traveled that controls for effects of income, gasoline prices, and the price of an alternative method of transportation -- air travel. The model excludes other factors that affect the quantity of driving, such as car prices and maintenance costs, because of their strong relationship with income and gas prices. In agreement with many other academic and industry studies, the Farmers analysis estimates that quantity of driving is highly inelastic with respect to gasoline prices. As gasoline prices rise, consumers have cut back on their driving, but only slightly, Mabe explains. Instead, consumers have curtailed spending on other discretionary expenditures such as entertainment in order to maintain their level of driving, especially in the short run. Work commutes, trips to school, and excursions to the grocery store must still occur without significant interruption, even in the face of higher gasoline prices, he said. The analysis also estimates the impact of higher gasoline prices on vehicle miles traveled since 2003. Had the trend of gasoline prices from 1979 to 2002 remained stable without the recent run-up of prices, the analysis suggests that vehicle miles traveled would have been nearly 2% higher than what actually occurred from 2003 to 2007 when over 250 billion vehicle miles were driven. Higher gas prices have begun to persuade drivers to begin to change their driving habits, both in terms of lengths and frequency of trips as well as choice of vehicle, Mabe continues. Furthermore, the more that consumers decrease their driving because of higher gasoline prices, the lower the probability of a collision. Frequency of auto claims drop, on the margin, during periods of sustained high gasoline prices. In the long run, consumers have more flexibility to respond more dramatically to sustained elevated gasoline prices, such as using a more fuel-efficient vehicle or even moving closer to work or school. We hope to soon enhance this analysis by addressing both the short- and long-run effect of high gasoline prices and explore alternative theories of consumers response patterns, Mabe said. This study provides us another piece of the puzzle in researching the effect of gasoline prices on our business, Mabe concluded. To request a copy of the study write Farmers Media Relations at 4680 Wilshire Boulevard , Los Angeles , Calif. 90010 (Third Floor).
   
    
2. WIND INSURANCE RATES GOING UP FOR COASTAL RESIDENTS . No Byline. Houston Chronicle. 2007/11/16. Regulators have approved an 8.2 percent increase in premiums for residential policyholders along the coast insured by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Commercial property owners will see a 5.4 percent increase under the changes approved Thursday by Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin. The windstorm association is a pool of all property insurers that serves as the insurer of last resort for coastal customers who can’t find wind coverage in the marketplace. The new rates take effect Feb. 1. For residential policyholders in Texas ’ 14 coastal counties, rates will go up about $84 on an average windstorm policy of $1,023, Insurance Commission spokesman Jerry Hagins said. The windstorm association had asked for 10 percent increases for both residential and business policyholders. It said the increases were warranted because of a Gulf Coast building boom and a lack of private insurers offering wind coverage. "Coastal TWIA customers must understand that the cost of rebuilding homes and business has increased dramatically, partially fueled by the enormous amount of residential and commercial construction along the Gulf Coast ," said Jerry Johns, a spokesman for the association. Reliance on the insurance association has jumped dramatically over the past two years, since hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast . The association now covers more than 213,000 structures, including more than 69,000 structures added this year. "TWIA has become the market of first choice rather than the market of last resort," Johns said. A committee of Galveston property owners opposed the increase, as did the Office of Public Insurance Counsel. "The 8.2 percent is going to lead to excessive rates," said Rod Bordelon, executive director of the insurance counsel’s office. Geeslin ordered that 25 percent of premiums be placed in a catastrophe fund to cover claims in the event of a major hurricane. The association generally keeps $80 million to $100 million available to pay claims, officials said, but if it runs out of money, the association can charge the state’s private insurance companies. In turn, the private companies can seek tax credits from the state. The Texas Legislature has looked at ways to rework the windstorm insurance fund to brace for catastrophic losses but hasn’t reached a solution. Private companies still sell other types of property insurance along the coast.

1. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES WON’T BE A KATRINA — THANKS TO INSURERS LIKE FARMERS . Matt Brady. National Underwriter Online News Service. 2007/11/13. Insurance industry groups, who faced lawmaker outrage for perceived mishandling of Hurricane Katrina claims, held a briefing today to convince Congress they are doing a good job handling policyholder losses from October’s California wildfires. At a session for congressional staffers on Capitol Hill, the heads of the major insurance company groups spoke of the swift response of the industry and the sacrifices made by insurance professionals to help policyholders begin the rebuilding process. Marc Racicot, president and chief executive officer of the American Insurance Association, mentioned that the state’s second largest insurer, Farmers , had numerous agents and adjusters, a mobile claims center, “ and even its CEO on the scene .” He said other companies have gone beyond their legal requirements to pay claims. Robert P. Hartwig, Insurance Information Institute president, noted that although the fires were indeed a disaster with an estimated insured loss of $1.6 billion, the catastrophe involved was relatively small in comparison with what the insurance industry has dealt with before. “It is within the realm of expectation,” he said. “It is within the realm of what we contemplate,” he explained at the briefing. Although the October fires’ estimated loss of $1.6 billion would make them the second most expensive fire disaster in recent history, Mr. Hartwig noted that fire disasters accounted for only 2.2 percent of catastrophe losses during the past 20 years, and that the October fires was not among even the top ten most expensive catastrophes in U.S. history. Furthermore, California is a strong market for homeowners insurance he said, with rate decreases having been filed and approved for most major insurers. Additionally, Mr. Hartwig noted the state’s insurer of last resort, the FAIR Plan, covers only 1 percent to 1.5 percent of the market, and the number of FAIR Plan policies has been shrinking in high-risk areas as private insurers offer coverage. Employees at Safeco donated $250,000 to help the rebuilding effort, and Fireman’s Fund has said it will offer policyholders the choice to rebuild their homes in a more environmentally friendly way at no extra cost. Mr. Racicot also noted that Hartford has said it will not cancel policies for lapses due to the fires. “Helping others is why the insurance industry exists,” he said. David Sampson, president and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), said homeowners should not be concerned that their filing of a claim will make their insurer more likely to non-renew them. Since earlier fires, the state has enacted a law barring insurers from canceling a policy prior to reconstruction and requires a renewal offer be made following a disaster. Additionally, Mr. Racicot said insurers will pay replacement costs to rebuild a home without deduction for physical depreciation, and under the state of emergency declaration by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, insurers will provide coverage for living expenses for up to two years. “It is during these times of tragic loss that the value of our industry and the financial safety net we provide consumers, businesses and local economies becomes clear,” he said. Charles Chamness, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies president, spoke of the work done at the ground level by insurance company employees to help clients, including an agent that “cut short a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Jerusalem .” He mentioned another whom he said had donated their RV so the policyholders of a smaller company would have a place to meet and work with their agent. The insurance industry, said Mr. Chamness, is working to fund research that will lead to better, more secure homes to help avoid disasters in the future. “The science underwritten by the insurance industry now will help everyone understand how to avoid more damages later,” he said.
   
    
2. ZURICH FINANCIAL SERVICES 9-MONTH NET JUMPS 25% TO $4.157 BILLION & BEATS FORECASTS, HIKES AFTER-TAX IMPROVEMENTS; FARMERS UP 6%. Andrew Thompson. Forbes.com. 2007/11/15. Zurich Financial Services reported a better-than-forecast net profit for the first nine months of 2007 of $4.157 Billion, up from $3.326 Billion, citing targeted growth across the group as well as operational strength in all business segments. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial News had forecast net profit to reach $3.819-3.974 Billion, or an average of $3.883 Billion. The Swiss insurer announced that it has hiked its operational improvement targets under its ’ Zurich Way ’ program for the period 2007-2009 to $3.1 Billion of after-tax improvements, from the current 2 Billion. It also said that it is ‘well on track to exceed its $700 Million target for 2007’ and that it sees after tax improvements of 800 Million next year. ’The Zurich Way continues to gain momentum ... we are confident in our ability to achieve even greater results,’ said James Schiro, Zurich Financial’s chief executive. During the first nine months, the group’s business operating profit reached $4.880 Billion, from $4.423 Billion. Business operating profit was seen reaching $4.286-4.764 Billion, or an average of $4.642 Billion. ’I am pleased with the performance of our businesses as they are generating record profits in today’s challenging financial markets,’ Schiro said. ’As our results indicate, we are growing in our selected markets, maintaining a keen focus on profitability, and benefiting from sound risk and investment management strategies,’ he added. General Insurance segment’s business operating profit for the nine months period reached $2.8 Billion, roughly unchanged from last year, reflecting strong underwriting results achieved under difficult conditions and higher investment income, Zurich said. Gross written premiums and policy fees improved to $27.322 Billion, from $26.295 Billion. While gross written premiums increased 4 pct in dollar-terms, they were largely flat in locally currencies, reflecting Zurich ’s disciplined underwriting approach, the insurer said. The segment’s combined ratio deteriorated to 96.9 pct, from 94.5 pct, hit by winter storm Kyrill and the UK floods. The two events caused total charges of $761 Million and added 3.4 percentage points to the combined ratio, Zurich said. On the other hand, reserve releases for earlier years had a beneficial effect of $558 Million, it said. Zurich said that the general trend in market conditions continued to show some deterioration of rates, with the greatest pressure being felt across commercial casualty and property business in the UK and the US . It’s Global Life segment continued its focus on unit-linked and protection markets, and once again posted a strong performance with business operating profit increasing to $1.1 Billion. New business value rose 44 pct to $480 Million as a result of a combination of higher new business margins and new business annual premium equivalent (APE) growth. Zurich also said that it remains committed to meeting its double-digit growth rate for Global Life even though the target is ’challenging’. Its Farmers Management Services unit recorded a 6 pct rise in revenues to $1.7 Billion, reflecting successful investments in distribution capabilities and product enhancements, Zurich said. The unit managed to increase business operating profit by 7 pct to $1.0 Billion. However, ongoing investments in strategic growth initiatives contributed to a lowering of the operating margin by 3.2 percentage points to 48.6 pct. The insurer also said that the integration of recently acquired Bristol West is showing tangible benefits. Zurich also said that it continues to have ’no material exposure’ to US subprime debt or CDO equity tranches in its investment portfolio, and has hence experienced only minimal rating downgrades since the half year.
   
    
3. LENDING A HELPING HAND  FARMERS INVOLVED IN MAKING THE PROCESS A SMOOTH ONE. More than 100 Firefighters turned up to help one of their own (Zac & Gina Valade) - covered by Farmers Insurance. Doug Curlee. KUSI News Television. San Diego . 2007/11/12. At the very end of the story, the anchor asks the reporter if the fire fighter had enough insurance, and the reporter says he’s been treated very well by Farmers . The news report was very positive and Farmers has once again delivered for our customer when they needed us most. Please click on the link to watch great footage of this clip: http://www.kusi.com/home/11222606.html?video=pop&t=a

1. FARMERS AGENT HELPS USHER IN HIGH SCHOOLERS INTO THE REAL BUSINESS WORLD . Diana Jorgenson. Portola News. 2007/11/07. The enterprising students of Portola Junior-Senior High School are ready to take the insurance business by storm - virtually, that is. The six students participating in Virtual Enterprise, a class simulating business practices and management structures, are inviting the public to an open house Thurs., Nov. 15, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. in Room 3 of the high school. Public participation will help the young executives practice their sales and marketing techniques. Practical application with "real" customers will help them fine-tune their brochures, their Web site and the office forms they’ve developed thus far. Virtual Enterprise classes began nationally in 1996 and have spread internationally. VE describes itself as "a simulated business that operates in a competitive environment with the goals of: empowering students with entrepreneurial skills through relevant learning and teamwork; connecting students with the local business community to gain valuable knowledge through mentorship of business professionals; inspiring students to develop ethical workplace behaviors and a strong work ethic." The California Network of Virtual Enterprise is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and expects to see approximately 200 programs blossom across California . Many of these, 140 groups at least, of which 21 are first-year schools, will be going to Bakersfield at the end of November to compete in the ninth annual California International Trade Fair. At the trade fair, two types of competitions are held: mail-in (such as employee manuals, product catalogs, etc.) and presentations (which also might include employee manuals as well as marketing plans and videos) and booth competitions. This is the third year of Virtual Enterprise at PJSHS. During the first year of participation at the California trade show, Portola garnered third place in the best booth category. Virtual Enterprise students have the option of building on the work of previous VE classes, which allows them to smooth problem areas and develop more refined marketing tools, such as videos. Portola’s previous VE company, The Whole Kit ’n Kaboodle, has occupied the program for the past two years. Because all of the six are new to the program, the budding business people opted to start a new company from scratch, thus giving them the opportunity to design their own logos, catalogs and corporate structure. They chose to go into the insurance business and, as part of the research phase, Tom Goss , Farmers Insurance agent, talked to them and explained the difference between agent brokers and branch agents. Thus API (All Purpose Insurance) was born. Their corporate motto? "Because not everything happens on purpose." API’s CEO, Michael Pidlypchak, said that the company’s offerings serviced a full range of insurance needs: life insurance, home and auto available for both groups and individuals. Pidlypchak is enthusiastic about VE. "It’s a good way to learn management skills, time management, and to learn leadership qualities." Trevor Nunes, director of accounting and finance (and the company banker), agrees, "Someday I hope to own my own business and this is a good way to do it." Nunes is credited with choosing the company shirts that the team wears at least once a week, per Virtual Enterprise rules that encourage professional attire. Although all of the students are trained in sales, John Quintana has been designated as director of sales and marketing. "I’m here to learn what it’s like to work in a business environment," he said. Bethany Pipes has dreams of a graphic design business and designed the company’s logo. She explained, "I actually want to start a business after college. This and my accounting course give me a jumpstart on seeing what’s involved." Pipes is API’s director of human resources. James Leffingwell, Web master for API, has fairly defined career goals as well. "I started doing Web design last year and liked it so I wanted to see what it’s like in business form," he said. Jarrod Fleisher, in true baseball form, is interested in covering all the bases. "I want to be a pro baseball player," he said, "but this is plan B, in case it doesn’t work out." Fleisher is API’s chief (and it might be added, only) assistant. Keep those bases moving, Jarrod! Judy St. Denis is the adult component of this neophyte insurance business and, in keeping with self-determination goals set by Virtual Enterprise, she is not an instructor but a consultant. "The hardest part for them was writing the business plan," she observed. This observation might be similarly expressed by any number of startup entrepreneurs. However, the students did it - complete with mission statement, marketing analyses, organizational charts and cash flow projections. They’ve devised application forms, come up with insurance rate schedules and are fully armed with business cards too!

1. AT THE TOP: JIM SCHIRO - ZURICH LEADER SHIFTS GAZE TOWARD MICRO-MARKETS AND EMPHASIZES FARMERS’ EFFORTS IN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DISASTER. Gordon Pitts. The Globe & Mail. 2007/11/12. Jim Schiro is the superstar CEO nobody’s heard of. As the leader of Zurich Financial Services Group , he shows up occasionally on those ’Top CEO’ lists. Yet he is no household name, perhaps because he is an American heading a global insurance company based in Switzerland . His dramatic turnaround of Zurich over the past five years is the latest in a career highlight reel that includes, while CEO at Price Waterhouse, leading the blockbuster accounting merger with Coopers & Lybrand that created today’s PricewaterhouseCoopers. Now, at Zurich , Mr. Schiro is thinking about how to manage for growth, not just survival.
   
   Q . You must know all about risk - both managing others’ risk and your own corporate risk?
   
   A . You have to make sure you always understand there is a burning platform.
   
   Q . But surely after five years, you have put out the fires at Zurich ?
   
   A . My job is to make sure I’m leading a group of people who are alert to the fires and have a sense of competitive urgency. That’s the job and responsibility of any leader.
   
   Q . Now about real fires - did you have some sleepless nights over insurance claims in southern California ?
   
   A . You don’t take my job if you can’t sleep at night. But I’m proud of how our people, Farmers Insurance Group , handled the situation in California . We’ve learned a lot from catastrophes, such as [Hurricane] Katrina. Our claims people and our cat [catastrophe] people have taken that learning on a global basis, whether from cyclones in Australia or floods in Europe , and we’ve responded.
   
   Q . Give me something concrete you’ve learned.
   
   A . We have this ‘cat bus’ we have built as a data centre and communications centre. We drive it within two hours of where there is a storm or catastrophe. In San Diego , we set it up at Qualcomm Stadium. We can feed over a thousand people from a griddle. We can access their data so we know if they are policy-holders - but we also make the bus available to non-policy holders. We have satellite phones so they can communicate with their families. If people don’t have the policies with them, we can find their data. We give them temporary living money. Our focus is on how to get people’s lives back to normal.
   
    
2. RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN CORPORATE LEARNING, UNIVERSITY OF FARMERS AWARDED MULTIPLE HONORS. No Byline. Yahoo! News. 2007/11/12. The University of Farmers,’ founded by Farmers Insurance Group of Companies as an educational facility for Farmers’ agents, claims personnel and district managers was awarded multiple honors during the International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC) Conference held at the Disney resort in Orlando, Florida. “The CUBIC (Corporate University Best in Class) Awards recognized the University of Farmers as one of the nation’s leading corporate universities,” explained Annette Thompson, Vice President of Marketing Operations at the University of Farmers . “The University received three awards, more than any of the 350 companies in attendance. Farmers was the only financial services organization honored at the conference." CUBIC presented the University of Farmers with the Best Evaluation Technique award recognizing three major areas of corporate learning success. The award praises the University’s evaluation model and tangible evidence of achievements, such as an increase in new Farmers agent success rates: improved quality in claims file accuracy; and increased customer service satisfaction. Additionally, Thompson was awarded the special title of Learning Leader of the Year for her outstanding leadership, organizational commitment, vision, and the ability to deliver organizational results.
   
   
   Pictures L-R:
   Chris A. Brown - Home Office Claims Performance Manager, Property
   Katherine Kokenes , Marketing Consultant, Agencies Training
   Kelly Minick , Marketing Consultant II, Agencies Training
   Annette Thompson , Vice President of Marketing Operations
   Mike Cuffe , AVP of Claims Training and Development.
   Lori Reilly , Home Office Claims Performance Manager - Specialty
   
   In addition to the three awards, Thompson and Mike Cuffe, assistant vice president of Claims, participated in a conference session that showcased University of Farmers ’ best practices.
   
    
3. FARMERS INSURANCE SAYS: HIGHER GAS PRICES DRIVING CHANGES IN MOTORIST PATTERNS. Doug Caldwell. Central Valley Business Times. 2007/11/13. Despite increasing gasoline prices, Americans are still driving about the same amount, according to a study by Farmers Insurance . The Farmers analysis estimates that the quantity of driving is highly inelastic with respect to gasoline prices. “As gasoline prices rise, consumers have cut back on their driving, but only slightly,” says Kevin Mabe , Farmers Insurance economist. “Instead, consumers have curtailed spending on other discretionary expenditures such as entertainment in order to maintain their level of driving, especially in the short run. Work commutes, trips to school, and excursions to the grocery store must still occur without significant interruption, even in the face of higher gasoline prices.” But one aspect of higher gasoline prices has affected choices for transportation, according to the study. It found that nearly 12,000 of Farmers’ insurance customers have purchased hybrid vehicles. The analysis also estimates the impact of higher gasoline prices on vehicle miles traveled since 2003. Had the trend of gasoline prices from 1979 to 2002 remained stable without the recent run-up of prices, the analysis suggests that vehicle miles traveled would have been nearly 2% higher than what actually occurred from 2003 to 2007 when over 250 billion vehicle miles were driven. “Higher gas prices have begun to persuade drivers to begin to change their driving habits, both in terms of lengths and frequency of trips as well as choice of vehicle,” says Mr. Mabe. In the long run, consumers have more flexibility to respond more dramatically to sustained elevated gasoline prices, such as using a more fuel-efficient vehicle or even moving closer to work or school, the study says. “We hope to soon enhance this analysis by addressing both the short- and long-run effect of high gasoline prices and explore alternative theories of consumers’ response patterns,” says Mr. Mabe. Mr. Mabe offers more details of his study in a CVBT Audio Interview. Please click on this link to access or download the audio link which is below the story once you’re in the web site: http://centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=6974

Nov. 9, 2007

1. HOMEOWNERS ARE IDENTIFYING WHAT THEY’VE LOST, AND FARMERS IS RIGHT BY THEIR SIDE. Natalie Wardel. The Daily Transcript. 2007/11/08. While the fire-scarred hills of San Diego are evidence of the blazes that burst through neighborhoods two weeks ago, the debris-scattered lots where homes once stood are busier than ever. Farmers Group Inc . has had about 7,300 claims filed thus far, with more than 300 total losses, spokesman Jerry Davies said. The number includes all property, including vehicles. Davies said the company’s focus right now is to make sure everyone that is dealing with fire damage has filed a claim. “We want to make sure we’ve contacted everyone that’s had a loss,” he said. “A lot of people may have gone out of town and may just be coming back.” All companies say that fire, as a general peril, is covered on the insurance policies. State Farm pays for the homes to be rebuilt, as they were, as well as homeowners’ rent during the process. “Right now, we’re meeting with them to go over the scope of the house,” Robert Matsusima, a State Farm claim representative said. The first focus was giving residents under mandatory evacuation money for food and clothes and finding homeless residents a place to live. As the shock of the loss wears off, homeowners like Brian Arnold are itemizing their destroyed belongings and getting ready to replace items that can be replaced. Arnold, who lived in the San Pasqual Valley on Highland Valley Road , said he just found a furnished four-bedroom house close to his childrens’ schools; State Farm is paying his rent for the next two years. Many homeowners are already interviewing contractors, State Farm spokesman Mike Rossman said. In blackened Rancho Bernardo, tow trucks are carrying burned cars away from sites and bulldozers are on-site. “We’ll just start moving on,” Arnold said. “We’re working with a designer and builder.” In San Diego , between the Witch, Harris, Poomacha and the Rice fires, there were almost 2,500 structures destroyed, according to Cal Fire. Because the blazes also claimed property in Orange , Los Angeles and Riverside counties, many insurance companies are looking at Southern California as a catastrophe area. State Farm is handling 5,237 insurance claims in Southern California , 498 of which are homes that have been declared a total loss. Autos claims make up 708 of total claims, 152 of those being a total loss. The rest are for home repair, smoke damage and other fire-related expenses, Rossman said. “Whatever their lifestyle was, we’ll pay for them to keep it up,” Rossman said. Allstate is not releasing the number of claims they are handling, spokeswoman Patti Kelly said. The company stopped insuring homes in California on July 1 because the state is “catastrophe prone.” “We just want to make sure as a company we make responsible financial decisions so we can pay a claim in the event of a catastrophe,” Kelly said, noting that anyone affected by the fire who had a claim will still be covered. Insurance companies also are worried about scammers who may try to take advantage of fire victims. They are working with homeowners to make sure all the construction companies eager to make business from the fire are licensed. Rossman said there have been no issues with scams yet. Many companies are making their services known -- signs from glass companies dot freeway entrances and debris-removal fliers are on driveways - held down with rocks because there is no door to tape them to. Matsushima said he is well versed in how to help customers rebuild because they did so in the Cedar Fire, which consumed 2,200 structures in San Diego in 2003. He said they learned how to do it then, and are trying to hold homeowners’ hands through the process. Every homeowner’s needs is a little different, Rossman said. Many of those affected in rural areas are looking for places for their livestock while they relocate and want to rebuild wells and barns, known as extensions to the dwelling in an insurance policy. Those in suburban areas of San Diego , such as Rancho Bernardo, are focusing on identifying contents and rebuilding. Arnold said while there are some treasures that will never be replaced - the family had a 4-inch binder of their genealogy and an heirloom baby cradle that’s been reduced to dust -- everything else, such as furniture and clothes, can be bought new, in his words "no big deal." And there are some things they won’t replace, Arnold said, noting that it was a way to clean the house. “I’m not buying a bread maker again,” he said. “That thing sat in the kitchen for 10 years and we never used it.”
   
    
2. WITH THE HELP OF FARMERS INSURANCE , FORT SMITH STUDENTS LEARN MORE, AND NOT JUST IN THE CLASSROOM . Maryanne Meyerriecks. Arkansas Catholic ( Fort Smith ). 2007/11/10. Every fall, Immaculate Conception School students practice their Southern hospitality, welcoming weary travelers on a 1,000- to 3,000-mile journey to stop at their refreshing, peaceful habitat on the corner of 14th and South B streets. The garden is full of fresh vegetables -- tomatoes and bell peppers. A pond provides a home to frogs and tadpoles that had been brought there from all over Fort Smith . A pumpkin patch is a colorful landmark for the weary travelers -- monarch butterflies making their annual flight to the forests high in the mountains of Mexico . But it’s the well-stocked supply of milkweed that makes Immaculate Conception’s habitat a "must-visit" on the Monarch butterflies’ route. "We started our habitat with funds from a City of Fort Smith mini-grant in 2002," sixth-grade teacher Ann Hill said "A teacher in one of the Jacksonville schools advised me to plant milkweed and told me about the monarch tagging program." Monarchs eat milkweed leaves as caterpillars, and milkweed flowers when they are butterflies, but the staff of life for monarchs is poisonous to other species. Monarchs’ bright coloring and markings warn other animals to stay away or risk death by poison. They nurtured the caterpillar with milkweed leaves and water and watched it climb to the top of his cage and gradually form a beautiful waxy green and gold chrysalis. During this stage the chrysalis required no food or water. Third-grader Cade Johnson said, "I was shocked how fast the caterpillar can change through metamorphosis." "It has been fantastic to see something so small turn into something so beautiful," sixth grader Ashley Taylor added. When a monarch butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, the students tag it before releasing it into the wild. Every Dec. 1, they send information about all the butterflies that they have tagged to MonarchWatch.com, a tracking service. When tagged monarchs are found in Mexico and other places along the travel route, schools will let Monarch Watch know, and Immaculate Conception students can see where their butterflies have traveled. "Sometimes we find tagged butterflies from cities and towns to our north, and sometimes we have recaptured our own tagged butterflies," Hill said.

1. A.M. BEST’S INSURANCE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING SUMMIT SETS FINAL SPEAKER LINE-UP, WITH FARMERS FEATURED. No Byline. A.M. Best. 2007/11/06. A.M. Best Co.’s Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for Thursday, November 8, will feature marketing leaders from insurance companies including Liberty Mutual, Farmers Insurance , MassMutual, Old Mutual and a host of insurance-marketing experts. The all-day event is set to take place at the Hilton New York. This year’s presentations include Luis Sahágun of Farmers Insurance who will address advertising to emerging and diverse markets. There is an interview with Farmers’ Luis Sahagun, multicultural ad manager at Farmers Insurance, regarding how it takes more than translating advertisements and commercials to reach diverse markets. Elements such as color, style and focusing on the family vs. individuals are vitally important. First click on this link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BestdayAudio and once in, look for the “ Play Now ” button under the subject heading that reads “ BestDay - Wednesday, November 07, 2007 Posted: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 12:00:00 EST “Guaranty Income Life’s John Lancaster on Long-Term Care; and Farmers’ Luis Sahagun ” to access the audio of Luis’ interview. It’s the second audio interview in the broadcast.

1. FARMERS INSURANCE DECLARES NOVEMBER 10TH FIREFIGHTER APPRECIATION DAY’ IN CALIFORNIA . No Byline. Los Angeles Chronicle. 2007/11/07. November 10th is Farmers’ Firefighter Appreciation Day in California . District managers, agents and employees will visit fire stations throughout the state to thank all of the brave firefighters and law enforcement officers who placed their lives on the line to battle the wildfires during this past month. "On behalf of our customers, we thank each and every firefighter for saving lives and property during the horrific fires in Southern California ," noted Farmers CEO Paul N. Hopkins . "Firefighters from throughout the state joined local firefighters to battle these fires to the end. We at Farmers know that when it comes to wildfires, we can’t be there for our customers unless firefighters are there first for all of us. For their brave and untiring dedication, we offer our most sincere thank you for a job well done."
   
    
2. FARMERS KEEPING THE MARCH OF DIMES BABY BUS’ ALIVE IN ST . LOUIS . Dawn Majors. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. STLtoday.com. 2007/11/07. Farmers Insurance Group Inc. is the national sponsor of the March of Dimes latest awareness effort, a national bus tour called “Every Baby Has A Story”. The tour made two stops in St. Louis . Go to http://www.stltoday.com/ and on the right-hand side, just down a little, under PHOTOS & MULTIMEDIA click on Baby Bus “Every Baby Has a Story” tour to see Farmers District Manager Matt Wolk , who does a great job representing Farmers by staying on message and getting our sponsorship out in front!
   
    
3. WHO DOESN’T LIKE TELLING STORIES ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN? FARMERS INSURANCE HOOKS UP WITH THE MARCH OF DIMES IN ST. LOUIS. No Byline. News Channel 5 at Noon  KSDK. St. Louis . 2007/11/06. Today you have a chance to raise money for the March of Dimes just by talking about your baby. Earlier this morning local and state leaders held a news conference. From now till 3:00 PM. It will be at the Gateway Mall and parents can videotape messages about their children. For each person that shares their story, Farmers Insurance will donate $20 to the March o f Dimes. (News Channel 5 at 5PM  KSDK). Who doesn’t love telling stories about their children? The March of Dimes gave parents to do just that today. The organization’s “Every Baby Has A Story” bus made stops around St. Louis . Parents were given the chance to videotape a message about their children and for every story Farmers Insurance donates $20 to the March of Dimes. It will stop in 15 other cities all part of prematurity awareness month. Watch the Quick Link here: http://media.vmsnews.com/MonitoringReports/110707/823546/R001225590/

1. FARMERS INSURANCE & MARCH OF DIMES TEAMING-UP FOR THE ‘EVERY BABY HAS A STORY’ TOUR IN LOS ANGELES! Eyewitness News At Four . Ellen Leyva & Leslie Skyes. KABC-TV (ABC) Channel 7. Los Angeles .. 2007/11/02.
   
   ELLEN LEYVA, co-anchor: The March of Dimes is calling attention to a growing health problem: the rising number of premature babies in this country. Eyewitness 7 News reporter Leslie Sykes is here with that story. Leslie.
   
   LESLIE SYKES reporting: Yeah, Ellen. Over the past several years the numbers have gotten worse. Premature births in the United States have risen more than 30 percent since 1981, and the Latino community is especially hard hit. Each year more than 5,000 Latino infants do not live to see their first birthday. Born at 27 weeks, too early to survive, Vicente Perez Jr., dies prematurely. Now, two years later, his father grieves the profound loss.
   
   Mr. VICENTE PEREZ Sr. (Father Who Lost Son): Vicente Jr. is gone. All my dreams of guiding him and seeing him grow up are gone. All we have are painful memories and Vicente’s pictures in the (unintelligible). I miss my son. No one will ever replace him.
   
   SYKES: Vicente’s story is one of thousands being collected in this motor coach by the March of Dimes. The bus is traveling to 16 cities in 28 days, collecting the stories of premature infants, many of whom didn’t make it, and others who did survive. The goal is to call attention to the plight of premature babies in the US , a problem especially present in the Latino community, where more than 100,000 infants are born prematurely each year.
   
   Ms. LUISA ACOSTA-FRANCO (Mother, and Farmers Insurance ): It’s really a lack of education, and the fact that sometimes in the Latino community we tend to have our babies too close to each other. And those are all causes of prematurity.
   
   SYKES: Luisa Acosta-Franco’s premature boy and girl survived. Diane Lovett’s twins weren’t so lucky.
   
   Ms. DIANE LOVETT (Mother): It’s very hard to lose a child. It brought back memories. It made me think of my babies.
   
   SYKES: The rate of pre-term births among Latinos has increased nearly 10 percent over the past decade. And those babies who do survive face life-long health risks.
   
   Ms. ACOSTA-FRANCO: Her digestive system wasn’t fully developed, and my son suffers from severe asthma.
   
   SYKES: Dr. Diane Ramos says the bottom line is mom’s need to see doctors.
   
   Dr. DIANE RAMOS (Obstetrician/Gynecologist): They’re getting their pre-natal care, but maybe in the second or third trimester. So after the fourth month, when maybe there’s been already a medical complication that’s been present, that has impacted the pregnancy from the beginning.
   
   SYKES: Dr. Diane Ramos says women should ideally seek pre-natal care three months before they get pregnant. As part of prematurity awareness month, which is this month, they want to draw attention to this issue so that fewer babies will die unnecessarily. David.
   
   DAVID ONO, co-anchor: All right, Leslie, thank you for that report.
   
   To view this segment, click on the link below and once in, click the Play Clip button to automatically see the entire 2:40 minutes clip:
   
   http://www.vmsdigital.com/MyFiles_Detail.aspx?mediaId=207853&onum=8AFFCBDB-1C3F-499D-B999-E04C6EC83425

1. PERSPECTIVES: FROM NEW ORLEANS TO SAN DIEGO , FARMERS ’ CEO PAUL HOPKINS RIGHTLY DEFENDS ANTICIPATED SCRUTINY ONCE AGAIN CAST ON INSURERS. David Dankwa. Best Wire. 2007/10/29. A major earthquake, perhaps, but wildfires are unlikely to chase insurers away from the California homeowners market or even force them to spike rates as many did in the Gulf States following the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. Clearly, it’s part of doing business in California -- at least in the past 20 years. Seven of the 10 most expensive wildfires in U.S. history have occurred in California , according to the Insurance Information Institute. Fires caused roughly $2.2 billion in property damage in San Diego and San Bernardino in 2005, the institute said. They happen frequently enough that insurers are able to model and predict the experience to a significant degree, experts say. It’s an event the industry is well-prepared financially to handle. So, what is more likely to send insurers scurrying to the exit door are heavy-handed measures that regulators and legislators, all too often, propose to appease citizens at the expense of the industry. Some of that happened after the Cedar fires of 2003 in California , although insurers say they support many of the proposed legislation that eventually became law. After the 2003 fires, homeowners insurers intensified their focus on fire risk abatement and tightened underwriting a bit, but essentially remained active in the marketplace, even reducing rates as competition increased. Still, all of this hasn’t stopped consumer advocates, plaintiffs’ attorneys and media outlets from speculating that insurers might shun their responsibilities to the hundreds of homeowners whose properties have been destroyed by the ongoing wildfires in Southern California . One news headline, just days ago, stated the wildfire victims next battle is with insurers. The skepticism comes even as all the major homeowners carriers are moving resources to the area to assist policyholders. Farmers Insurance Group , writer of about 800,000 homeowners policies in Southern California , deployed its mobile catastrophe claims center bus to Qualcomm Stadium, where more than 10,000 residents were temporarily housed. Paul Hopkins , the chief executive officer of Farmers, has been emphasizing the insurers commitment to the California homeowners market in representations to the media, and trying to calm some fears. Other insurance industry leaders are doing the same. They’ve come to understand that in a post-Hurricane Katrina environment, a pro-active media relations campaign is necessary to explain every insurance issue - even if they’re speculative. Whatever happens, there is no question many eyes will be focused on insurers and what role they play in the rebuilding of Southern California .

1. CALIFORNIA FIRE LOSSES MAY TOP $1.6B; CEO PAUL HOPKINS SAYS FARMERS IS READY (FARMERS’ MOBILE CATASTROPHE CLAIMS BUS FEATURED ON PAGE 2) . Chad Hemenway. BestWeek. 2007/10/29.
   
   
   
   
   
    
2. BEST’S REVIEW: INSURERS’ (LIKE FARMERS INSURANCE ) SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS ARE SCORING POINTS WITH AGENTS. Lori Chordas. Best Wire. 2007/11/1. Best’s Review’s cover story, "Score," reveals how insurers are increasing brand awareness by reaching out to sports fans. Award-winning Senior Associate Editor Lori Chordas got Liberty Mutual, State Farm, MassMutual, Nationwide, Farmers Insurance , Unum and Aflac to discuss their sports sponsorship forays in detail. One of the main reasons insurers invest in sports sponsorship campaigns is to raise brand awareness with agents. In Farmers case, it is a presenting sponsor for high school sporting events in 11 states. "It’s a grass-roots approach for our agents and district managers to actively participate by attending games, presenting trophies, educating high school students about how to purchase insurance, and even recruiting students who may consider a career in insurance after high school or college," said Faye McClure , vice president of strategic marketing for Farmers. One of the most recent sports sponsorship occurred in October when NASCAR announced its Busch Series will be branded as the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning in 2008. In addition to trying to improve"brand health," sponsorships also allow companies to "use assets like playing in Pro-Ams and sitting in skyboxes to improve agents’ performance via contests and other incentives," said John Aman, who manages Nationwide’s sports sponsorships. Insurers are also tracking sponsorships return on investment. Nationwide reports its sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour has raised brand awareness 23%. Want to hear more about this article? Go to http://www.bestreview.com/cover.asp to view a video interview with the author, Lori Chordas, mentioning Farmers Insurance’s presenting sponsorship of the Adopt-A-School Program.

1. INSURANCE FEARS, BUT NOT FARMERS ACCORDING TO CEO PAUL HOPKINS . Despite reassurances, homeowners are worried. Gary Gentile. Ventura County Star . 2007 /10/25. Despite reassurances from state officials, homeowners in fire-ravaged Southern California might have plenty to worry about when it comes to their home insurance. With damage estimates climbing daily, reaching $1 billion Wednesday, homeowners fear that insurance companies will raise rates or even cancel policies after the fires. State officials and consumer advocates say that’s not likely, but the scope of the fires and past tussles with insurers make many Californians skeptical. Officials say they’ll be able to reign in rates, pointing out that insurance in California is highly regulated, and authorities aren’t likely to approve any increases in premiums, especially after pushing companies to reduce premiums this year. Also, California remains the nation’s largest market for homeowner insurance, which is a profitable line of business despite the risks. That didn’t stop Allstate Corp., the nation’s second-largest property-casualty insurer, from announcing earlier this year that it would no longer underwrite new California homeowner policies, citing risks from wildfires and earthquakes. The company is also seeking a 12 percent rate increase for its existing customers. Major insurers are inspecting homes in high-risk areas throughout the West and threatening to cancel coverage if owners don’t clear brush or take other precautions. "Insurance companies are in the business of taking these types of risk," state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said. "The companies are in great health and have substantial reserves." Poizner said he has talked to several insurance company chief executives in recent days and been assured they are taking steps to swiftly pay claims. On Wednesday, he declared an insurance state of emergency, allowing out-of-state claims adjusters not licensed in California to come to the state to handle claims. Paul Hopkins , chief executive of Farmers Insurance Group Inc., echoed Poizner’s outlook. "We don’t set our rates or underwriting guidelines based on a single event," Hopkins said. "We have no desire nor has it been our past policy to start doing mass cancellations." California had to form a special authority to sell earthquake coverage when insurers threatened to leave after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. And after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, a number of companies, including Allstate and State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., raised rates, canceled or limited homeowners policies.

October 11, 2007

FARMERS INSURANCE FOCUSES ON LATINOS & VIETNAMESE. No Byline. Prism Insight. 2007/10/09. Farmers Insurance is building its profile with U.S. ethnic communities, currently sponsoring a major Latino film festival and a traveling Smithsonian exhibition about Vietnamese communities. Farmers is premiere sponsor of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival at Hollywood ’s ArcLight Cinemas on Oct. 7-14. Latino films from around the world will be screened at several theaters during the week-long event. The closing night gala will be co-hosted by Edward James Olmos and Antonio Banderas, who directed that evening’s feature, "El Camino de Los Ingleses" ("Summer Rain"). This is the second year that Farmers has sponsored the film festival. Farmers is also national sponsor of a Smithsonian exhibit, "Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon," which examines the Vietnamese American experience in this country from 1975 to the present through photographs. The traveling exhibit, currently at the Viet Art Center in Garden Grove , CA through Dec. 2, will visit 12 to 15 cities around the country through 2010. The opening reception, free and open to the public, is on Oct. 9.
 

October 10, 2007

FARMERS CUSTOMERS PART OF A NEW EVOLUTION: DEPARTMENT CONSUMER DATA SHOWS JUSTIFIED COMPLAINTS DOWN IN 2006. Bess Shapiro. Insurance Telegraph. 2007/10/09. Insurance companies get an A for customer service, according to the latest statistics from the California Department of Insurance. The latest data from 2006 show, that for most carriers, the number of justified complaints in both auto and homeowners either went down or remained steady. Industry trade associations tout the data as evidence that insurance companies are handling claims quickly and appropriately, despite assertions from consumer groups to the contrary. Consumer groups point out, however, that the veracity of the numbers is in question simply because there is no way to confirm how many policy holders know that they can contact the Department with a complaint. Farmers Insurance Exchange dropped from 95 justified complaints in 2005 to 65 in 2006. Farmers has over 1.6 million policies in force. According to Jerry Davies , spokesman for Farmers, Farmers has successfully expanded its Help Point Service to quickly assist policy holders with claims after disasters and accidents. “That’s why it’s dropping and will continue to drop,” Davies says. He adds that that Farmers continuous top notch claims training, and passing along of best practices also plays a role. Says Davies: “[It’s] an evolution of claims practices that the company is experiencing.” But small companies did well too. In auto, Coast National Insurance Company went from 31 justified complaints in 2005 down to 17 in 2006. Coast has approximate exposures of just over 277,000. According to the Department market share reports Coast wrote $163 million in direct premium compared to $186 million in 2005.
 

October 9, 2007

FARMERS NAMES INGERSOLL VP OF MARKETING. No Byline. Insurance Journal. 2007/10/09. Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group Inc. named John Ingersoll vice president of marketing. In addition to having responsibility for marketing, advertising and brand awareness, he will work closely with Farmers' e-Business and lines of business to develop Internet and direct mail marketing, according to Senior Vice President of Sales Jim Westerman. Ingersoll began his career as an attorney, specializing in corporate law. He later worked with Countrywide Financial Corp. in Simi Valley, Calif., as senior vice president of business development. In 1999, he joined the InsWeb Corp. in Westlake Village, Calif., where he was responsible for all aspects of its Southern California operation. In 2001, he was named vice president of marketing and sales for 21st Century Insurance Co.

October 8,2007

FARMERS SPONSORS AN AARP DRIVER SAFETY COURSE. No Byline. Daily Citizen. 2007/10/07. Farmers Insurance Group will sponsor a 4-hour AARP Driver Safety Course at the 1st Baptist Church in Judsonia (ARKANSAS) on Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to noon. The roads, vehicles and traffic patters of modern roadways of today have changed over the years. As the conditions of driving have changed, so has the driver. As a person ages, they need to build safety features into their driving techniques. The course is designed to extend driving years in a safer manner. The course does emphasis some of the newer laws in Arkansas . Upon completion of the course, drivers age 55 years and older are eligible for a mandated discount on their automobile insurance as well. Talk to an insurance agent about the specific amount. The class will be taught by Dot Beck, and to reserve a seat in the class, these are not tests.

ON THE SCENE & IN THE MEDIA — FARMERS CLAIMS TEAMS RIGHT ON TIME. Kerstin Kealy. WDAY-TV (ABC) Channel 6 (Fargo , North Dakota ).

KRSTIN KEALY, co-anchor: Others keeping busy today are insurance companies. We caught up with Lonna Dehn with Farmers Insurance in between calls from clients. Many have been calling in wondering what to do with their hail damage on houses or cars. Dehn says it's too early to tell exactly how many people have been affected, but the numbers are looking high.

Ms. LONNA DEHN (Farmers Insurance Group): A lot of the people aren't really sure of the extent of their damage, they're just assuming that there certainly will be some and wanting to let us know.

KEALY: Dehn says Farmers Insurance has already dispatched teams of insurance adjusters from Bismarck and Kansas City to the Fargo/Moorhead area.

October 5, 2007

FARMERS INSURANCE RECEIVES GETTY HOUSE FOUNDATION’S CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP AWARD. No Byline. Yahoo! News. 2007/10/01. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa presented the Getty House Foundation’s Corporate Citizen Award to Farmers Insurance Sept. 29, at the Foundation’s Annual Gala. The award was for Farmers’ commitment to improving the communities where its customers, agents and employees live and work. ’We are very pleased to receive this prestigious honor,’ noted Farmers CEO Paul N. Hopkins . ’Since its founding in 1928 in Los Angeles , Farmers has continued to invest considerable resources in programs that improve safety, enhance educational opportunity and increase civic participation in communities across America .’ The award recognized the thousands of Farmers agents and employees who generously contribute additional dollars and hours of volunteer time to organizations in their neighborhoods. ‘We were particularly pleased that this honor also noted our various corporate programs such as our commitment to March of Dimes, raising $2.8 million in one day, June 7, 2007, on Farmers’ Be a Hero for Babies Day, and our WalkAmerica activities across the country,’ said Doug Onyon, Farmers’ assistant vice president of corporate communications. ‘It was also an honor to have our other corporate education and community involvement programs held up as examples of outstanding corporate citizenship. These include The American Promise, Freedom’s Song and Young Americanos -- all programs that enhance the ability of our nation’s teachers to engage students in becoming better citizens,’ Onyon said. Luisa Acosta-Franco, Farmers’ assistant vice president of diversity and emerging markets, is a member of the Getty House Foundation Board of Directors.
 

BRYAN MURPHY ( FARMERS INSURANCE ), RECEIVES SILVER VANGUARD AWARD BY CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER MAGAZINE. No Byline. Forbes  Online. 2007/10/03. Bryan Murphy , Executive Vice President and Chief Claims Officer, Farmers Insurance Group , has received the 2007 Learning In Practice Silver Vanguard Award sponsored by Chief Learning Officer (CLO) magazine. The magazine recognizes industry leaders for excellence in enterprise learning. ‘The prestigious CLO Learning In Practice Awards recognizes industry leaders who have demonstrated excellence in the design and delivery of workforce learning and development programs,’ said Norm Kamikow, president and editor in chief of Chief Learning Officer magazine. The awards ceremony was held at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson , Arizona on Tuesday, Oct. 2 in conjunction with the Fall 2007 Chief Learning Officer Symposium. Chief Learning Officer is the foremost resource in the rapidly growing industry of workforce learning and development. ‘This is really an honor, not just for me or the claims department, but for Farmers Insurance,’ Mr. Murphy stated. ‘It shows our continued pursuit of learning in order to serve our customers and getting recognition for the Farmers team effort from an outside source is of course very gratifying. It makes me proud to be part of it.’ ‘We received a record number of nominations this year and our expert panel of judges, composed of industry leaders and executives from some of the world’s largest and most-respected companies, determined that Bryan Murphy was one of the top entries,’ Mr. Kamikow said. ‘We congratulate Mr. Murphy for achieving this important industry honor.’
 

FARMERS AND LOS ANGELES BLACK BUSINESS EXPO - AN ONGOING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP . Jacquie Stephens. KJLH-FM ( Los Angeles ) ABC Network. LA Speaks Out. 2007/09/22.

JACQUIE STEPHENS , host: Well, we have presenting sponsors again this year, OneUnited Bank is one, and with us this morning representing Farmers Insurance is Mr. Kenneth Adams . Good morning and how many years?

Mr. KENNETH ADAMS (Farmers Insurance): Good morning, Jacquie. Thank you for having me. This has been our sixth year with the Expo. Started off as regular exhibitor our first year and I saw the potential and what Farmers Insurance Group could really show the community in terms of our commitment to the community. Not only from a business and financial services perspective, but from a community support standpoint. And so the next year we stepped it up and became a sponsor and then a few years later became a premier sponsor. And now--so, we’re neck and neck with OneUnited right now.

STEPHENS : Now what’s the difference--premier?

Mr. ADAMS : A premier sponsor, we really try to step up behind the scenes. So there are a lot of things you don’t see that we support. We stand strong with the Black Business Expo in terms of getting it accomplished and bringing groups together. I mean, I think Desiree put it really well, you know, this is--this Expo, it’s a great way to unite with the community, find new customers, reach out and tell people what you’re doing and what you’re about. And that’s what this thing is about, is showcasing your product and service to the entire Los Angeles County community, and if not the world, actually.

STEPHENS : OK. And you also just came off the heels of sponsoring the Angel City Classic.

Mr. ADAMS : We did, we did. We had a great event at the coliseum, North Carolina A&T versus Prairie View A&M. It was great to see historically black colleges compete at the coliseum. It’s been a long time since we had a football game of that magnitude at that venue, and there was not one incident out there that day. And it was great just to see African-American people, and Latinos, and white folks, and everybody just having a really--come together for one cause, which was education. And, you know, we have a couple of new scholarships that Farmers Insurance Group has produced with United Negro College Fund. So if you have a daughter or a son who’s attending a historically black college or UNCF school, go to the UNCF Web site, under scholarships, and you’ll see the Farmers Insurance Group National Scholars--or National Scholarship program. You can apply, you can be any major, as long as you attend or are currently a student at a HBC or UNCF school, because there’s a lot of stuff out there for freshman.

STEPHENS : Mm hmm.

Mr. ADAMS : There’s tons of grants. But the hardest thing is when you get in college to stay in college. And so, we wanted to support those students that are struggling or at least trying to stay in and get that BA degree, and show them that, you know what, we haven’t forgotten about you.

STEPHENS : OK. OK.
 

PRESENTED BY FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP , EVA LONGORIA AND GEORGE LOPEZ HEADLINE PADRES CONTRA EL CANCER’S 2007 ANNUAL GALA. No Byline. Associated Press. 2007/10/02. On Thursday, October 18, 2007, PADRES Contra El Cancer (PADRES) a nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life for Latino children with cancer and their families, will celebrate its Seventh Annual Fund-Raising Gala, ’EL SUENO DE ESPERANZA.’ The ceremony’s theme, ‘An Evening for Celebration and HOPE’ will pay tribute to PADRES’ extraordinary children and families. Presented by FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP (FARMERS), festivities will commence at 6:30 pm and will be held at ‘THE LOT’ in West Hollywood , California . Eva Longoria, star of ABC’s Desperate Housewives and PADRES’ National Spokesperson, will serve as Gala Chair. Actor / Comedian George Lopez will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. In addition to PADRES National Ambassadors Yancey Arias, Adrian Bellani, Angelica Castro, Matt Cedeno, Cristian De La Fuente and Fernando Del Rincon, other prominent celebrities who have lent their name and joined Eva in support of PADRES include Jessica Alba, Billy Bush, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Marcia Cross, Oscar De La Hoya, Jamie Foxx, Terrence Howard, Felicity Huffman, Mario Lopez, Constance Marie, Carlos Mencia, Brittany Murphy, Ana Ortiz, Tony Parker, Ken Paves, Paulina Rubio, Roselyn Sanchez, Ryan Seacrest, Jessica Simpson and Sofia Vergara. In her role as Assistant Vice-President of Diversity & Emerging Markets, Luisa Acosta-Franco announced that Farmers has entered into a two-year agreement with the charitable organization and will serve as the annual ceremony’s Title Sponsor during 2007 and 2008. ‘Children are our most precious resource,’ said Acosta-Franco. ‘As a responsible corporate citizen, we remain forever committed to building upon our legacy of work not only with PADRES and humanitarians like Eva Longoria, but with all who are committed to promoting the health and well being of economically-disadvantaged children and families.’ ‘I am, truly, grateful to the leadership at Farmers for its continued commitment and support not only for PADRES’ children and families, but for its exemplary work on behalf of all culturally-diverse communities,’ said Longoria. PADRES’ unique and inclusive program model is premised upon the delivery of a health and education curriculum designed to be culturally-relevant, family-centered and community-based. While primarily oriented to the Latino community, PADRES’ programs, activities and services serve childhood cancer patients and their families from all races, nationalities and ethnic origins. NO FAMILY IS TURNED AWAY. For more information, please visit http://www.iamhope.org
 

LONGER LIFESPANS MEAN MORE SENIORS ARE SEEKING, KEEPING JOBS, EVEN AT FARMERS . Paula Burkes Erickson. The Oklahoman. 2007/09/30. A retired sales manager in the beverage industry, Ron Jones of Edmond recently went back to work as a courier for the Oklahoma Blood Institute. Jones, 65, works 4 p.m. to midnight, three nights a week, delivering blood products and picking up specimens in the greater Oklahoma City area. To meet demand, the blood institute needs 600 units of blood daily. The institute operates round-the-clock, including weekends and holidays. "It’s rewarding, knowing in a small way I’m helping to heal the sick and sometimes saving lives,” Jones said. Along with job satisfaction, his part-time work allows Jones affordable insurance. It’s a few more years before his wife qualifies for Medicare, so he elected family health coverage, which cut their monthly premium costs by two-thirds. Because people are living longer, they’ll need more money in their senior years, experts say. Workers either can put off retirement or, like Jones, return to the labor force. Labor statistics show the percent of the U.S. work force 55 and older — currently at 17 percent — will climb to nearly 24 percent by 2020. Moreover, in three years one in three hourly workers will be older than 50, according to The Employment Guide, which publishes free weekly employment magazines in markets nationwide. Area job seekers 50 and older turned out in droves Tuesday for a special older workers job fair at the Omniplex Science Museum . Co-sponsored by the Employment Guide and the AARP Foundation, the event was part of a series of nationwide fairs held in conjunction with the Labor Department’s National Employ Older Workers Week. "People over 50 want jobs, but they have no place to look,” said Justin Thomas, general sales manager for the Employment Guide in Oklahoma City . "They feel hopeless and don’t know what to do.” Ninety minutes into the five-hour fair, more than 170 job seekers had shown up. By attending the job fair, Tuesday’s attendees were ahead of the curve, studies show. Though 86 percent of retirees say they want to work part-time, only 2 percent look for jobs, according to the Employment Benefit Research Institute in Washington . The auto claims arm of Farmers Insurance Group is always looking for workers of all ages, said Sheri McGuire , human resources analyst. Opened five years ago in Shepherd Mall, the division has grown from 25 employees to 1,500, she said. Among other benefits, Farmers offers a 100 percent company-paid pension and profit sharing. "We have one 85-year-old employee who’s worked 25 years for Farmers and still receives performance raises,” McGuire said.
 

FARMERS INSURANCE APPLAUDS EFFORTS TO FURTHER INCREASE PASSENGER PROTECTION IN SIDE-IMPACT COLLISIONS. No Byline. Safety Journal. 2007/29/09. Farmers Insurance Group , Inc. announced it fully supports the new Federal motor vehicle safety standard #214 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that requires automakers to conduct new side-impact crash tests. Farmers says the new standard is estimated to save over 300 lives and hundreds of serious injuries each year in the United States . “Farmers fully supports this effort as a means to protect our customers,” noted Kevin Mabe , Economist for Farmers Insurance. “The standard mandates a new crash test for automakers that mimics a 20-mph impact at a 75-degree angle. Additionally, the NHTSA has introduced guidelines for automakers to provide head protection for rear seat passengers. Vehicles under 8,500 pounds must provide safety measures to comply with the test by late 2012. Heavier vehicles, from 8,500 to 10,000 pounds, have an additional year to fully meet regulations. The NHTSA does not specifically mandate a particular safety device to comply with the new standard, but automakers, in addition to the NHTSA, interpret the regulation as an implicit endorsement of side air bags,” Mabe added. Automakers’ efforts to install side air bags across their vehicle fleets had begun as early as late 2003, even before an original NHTSA proposal in 2004 that called for side air bag guidelines. “Both the NHTSA and automakers recognize the safety benefit of such measures,” Mabe said. “In our own study, released earlier this year, Farmers shows that air bags of all types reduce the odds of a driver fatality by nearly 10%. Coupled with seat belt use, the odds plummet by nearly 75%.” Mabe also expects a dampening effect on both the frequency and severity of bodily injury claims because of the new measure. “We’ve quantified the effects of safety devices on our loss trends,” he said. “Aside from protecting our customers’ lives, increased use of safety devices lowers the probability for injury claims. At Farmers, we recognize the new standard as yet another step to improve vehicle safety and that translates into more driving safety for our customers,” Mabe concluded. Farmers Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers is the nation’s third-largest Personal Lines Property & Casualty insurance group. Headquartered in Los Angeles and doing business in 41 states, the insurers comprising the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies provide Homeowners, Auto, Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households.

EMERGENCIES: WHAT DO YOU DO? FARMERS INSURANCE AGENT KNOWS. No Byline. Sierra Sun. 2007/24/09. A fire breaks out. You have 30 minutes - or less - to leave. Your children are at school. Your neighbors are on their roofs with hoses. Where do you go? What do you pack? Who do you call? What do you do, when an emergency strikes the Truckee-Tahoe area? Like most Truckee-Tahoe residents, Kelly Doran watched with horror as the Angora Fire incinerated whole South Lake Tahoe neighborhoods in June. And just like countless other people, the West Shore homeowner hoped the tinder-dry fire season wouldn't intrude on her life. But hope stood little chance against the Washoe Fire one Saturday in August. "The Angora Fire had me thinking about all of this, but it was out-of-sight, out-of-mind." Doran said. "Then our fire happened. I guess I never really thought it would come to us. That was pretty naive." But on Aug. 18, Doran wasn't acting naively; she was frantically trying to save her home and possessions from the Tahoe Park blaze that ultimately consumed five houses. "On August 18, a Saturday, I smelled chemicals, and it bugged me so much I looked over at the neighbors and saw a small fire ... Within two to three minutes there were 4-foot flames and I realized there was trouble," Doran recounted. By the time Doran called 911 the neighbor's entire deck was in flames. That's when she realized a decision had to be made: Leave with the evacuation or stay and fight for her home. The five-year Tahoe Park resident decided to fight. Along with other neighbors, Doran started running in and out of her home and that of her neighbor, grabbing dogs and warning those unaware of what was happening around them. While she scrambled, the next house caught fire. "Six people started hosing the homes, the fences, the trees, my shed, wherever fires were, and it went on for hours," Doran recalled. "I'll never forget what Fire Chief [John] Pang said to me - he said 'do what you have to do, I'll let you know when you have to leave,'" Doran said. KNOW YOU ARE INSURED Farmers Insurance agent Donna Spicer said the firm insured homes lost in the Angora Fire, and some destroyed in the Washoe Fire. To prevent additional loss, Spicer said it's important for homeowners to make sure they have enough dwelling coverage, and to create some sort of an inventory of their possessions. "It's a good idea to go through your house with a video camera, or take pictures, or even just write out a list and put that in a safety deposit box," Spicer said. According to the California Department of Insurance, an inventory of the contents of a home should include the contents, value of the contents, and serial numbers when applicable. Spicer said insurance adjusters, even after a big fire, can still figure out what was lost in many cases. "When an adjuster looks at a burn site they can tell - things melt but they don't melt completely," Spicer said. For a guide on how to create a home inventory, or for more information about insurance in an emergency, go to www.insurance.ca.gov .