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The Forsyth County News
* '
Opinion
This is a page of opinions- ours, yours and others.
Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the
writers and artists and may not reflect our views.
4
Oxendine offers
insurance advice
During the summer months, many travelers will rent vehicles for
vacation transportation. The car rental company will probably
urge renters to purchase insurance for the cars they rent. This cov
erage is usually rather expensive, and can add considerably to the
> overall cost of the rental. The good news is, depending on the type
of insurance you have on your personal vehicle and how you
’• choose to pay for the rental car, you may not need to purchase
additional coverage from the rental company.
> Part of your vacation planning should include a call to your
\ .insurance agent to find out exactly what is covered under your
own auto policy. Many policies will cover a rental car; however,
1 some provide rental coverage only under certain conditions, such
• as if the rental is being used to replace the policy holder’s regular
; car while it’s in the shop for repairs. Your employer may insure a
• rental vehicle being used by you on a business trip, but that cover
age might not extend to a side trip made for personal reasons.
Finally, some credit cards offer coverage against theft or damage
;■= Zwhen you charge your rental car. Read your credit card agreement
- carefully to make sure you’re covered.
: ► Question: I plan to rent a car when I take my vacation this year,
T and I may be driving it for several weeks. Is there a limit on how
L long my own auto insurance policy will cover the rental?
Answer: Whether you rely on your personal auto policy or cov
! erage from a credit card, there is a time limit on how long a rental
•! car will be insured. Length of coverage varies. Your auto insurer
may be able to provide coverage for a longer period of time if you
need more than the standard amount. You should also be aware
that if you have a claim, you may be required to notify the credit
card company within a certain period of time sometimes as lit
tle as 48 hours or risk losing your coverage.
*1
Please send your insurance or fire safety questions to: Insurance
•i and Fire Commissioner John Oxendine
716 West Tower
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Or call (404) 656-2070 (toll free at (800) 656-2298) for assis
-7 tance with an insurance question, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday
7 through Friday. TDD services available at (404) 656-4031.
Flag amendment:
■h
; False patriotism
By Keith A. Kreul
» U.S. Army Veteran and Past
■ National Commander, The
" American Legion (1983)
>1
The Senate is poised to vote on
a proposed constitutional
amendment to prohibit flag des
ecration, a radical approach to a
near nonexistent dilemma, akin
to the atomic bombing of a city
" because there may be a felon in
the area.
The flag is a beautiful and
' inspiring banner representing
■ freedom and justice for all
■ Americans. It is freely dis
played, and can be protected
only by us, the people. Each cit
izen can gaze upon it, and it can
'• mean what our heartfelt patriot
' ic beliefs tell us individually.
Government “protection” of a
nation’s banner only invites
j scorn upon it. A patriot cannot
' be created by legislation.
; Patriotism must be nurtured in
J the family and educational
i! process. It must come from the
* heartfelt emotion of true beliefs,
[• credos and tenets. Our beautiful
flag represents those beliefs,
credos and tenets that are out
i; lined by the Constitution of the
!; United States of America.
:• Yes, the Constitution can be
amended. But will an amend
ment that is in obvious conflict
with the First Amendment
accomplish a purpose, or will it
bring further confusion and dis
. content, diminishing the beauty
the flag has today as it hangs
free, revered by us, the people,
i; not ordered by Government
i; edict?
Our nation was not founded on
devotion to symbolic idols, but
!• on principles, beliefs and ideals
I-' expressed in the Constitution
h and its Bill of Rights. American
veterans who have protected our
banner in battle have not done
so to protect a “golden calf.”
Instead, they carried the banner
forward with reverence for what
it represents our beliefs and
freedom for all. Therein lies the
beauty of our flag.
The flag is a
beautiful and inspir
ing banner
representing
freedom and Justice
for all Americans. 99
The proposed amendment
would stain the image of our
banner, as it would no longer
wave free, unprotected by
Government and freely held
high by the citizens of the
United States of America. Are
we now, after 209 successful
and glorious years, going to
knuckle under to the pressure of
modern lobbying techniques to
pursue pseudo patriotism?
Organizations exploiting high
tech lobbying, spending mil
lions pressuring lawmakers and
pandering to a false patriotism,
should rethink their priorities
and not succumb to the tempta
tion of this “golden calf.”
We must not delegate to gov
ernment our responsibility of
citizenship lest we endanger our
most precibus freedoms.
Teaching in the home and in our
schools the principles evident in
our Constitution and Bill of
Rights requires responsibility
and sacrifice. That energy
enhances pride in our heritage.
Respect for our beautiful flag
can only come from the hearts
of the people. Attempts to
bestow honor by government
decree upon the flag are idle
myths and must not prevail.
« -
" r^o &
Five insurance and financial mistakes that can cost you dearly
Everyone wants financial suc
cess for themselves and their fam
ilies. The dreams that we spend
long hours working toward—
whether it’s a first home, a college
education for the children, or a
retirement home, some place
warm — these are all goals on the
path to financial security.
Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to
stumble on the way to your desti
nation. I’ve compiled a list of
what I’ve found to be the most
common errors people make in
achieving their insurance and
financial goals. They’re all poten
tially costly, and they could mean
the difference between financial
success and failure.
1. Failure to Plan—An old say
ing goes: “Most people don’t plan
to fail, they fail to plan.” This is
particularly true when it comes to
insurance and finances. If any
planning is done it’s on a piece
meal basis, but that’s just not
enough. To hove a shot at accom
plishing what we want, we must
first set our goals, analyze what it
will take to achieve those goals,
and then implement a plan. The
plan should include everything
from savings and checking
accounts, to longer term vehicles
like annuities, CDs, and IRAs,
and the protection provided by
life, health, and disability income
insurance.
2. Insufficient Diversification —
Another old adage still rings true:
“Don’t put all your eggs in one
basket.” Diversification is general
ly considered a key to reducing
risk and enhancing potential
return. Some people believe that
because they have CDs in three
different banks they’re properly
diversified. True diversification
cuts across product types, lengths
of maturity, and asset categories.
With a well diversified portfolio,
you’re never too dependent on
how well one product performs.
3. Insufficient Life Insurance—
We’re quick to insure our cars and
our homes, but too often we over
look our most important asset—
ourselves. With mortgages,
tuitions, and bills to be paid, it’s
important to hove proper coverage
on all income earners. Some peo
ple may have group term life
insurance through their employ
ers, but this alone may not be suf
ficient. Be careful not to be overly
dependent oh group term, for
these plans can be inflexible, may
not be portable, and may not be
available when you need it
most— after age 65. Look into
purchasing individual coverage to
suit your particular needs. How
mudh life insurance is enough?
That depends on a number of per
sonal factors including income
and number of dependents. It’s
best to sit down with a profession
al to go over your needs and look
at the available options.
4. Inadequate Disability Income
Insurance—Your earning power is
the generator that keeps the
wheels of your household running
smoothly. But what if that genera
tor breaks down? The risk of dis-
ability, as well as its potential
cost, is simply too great to ignore.
Once again, a company-sponsored
plan may be too limited for your
needs. Typically, disability
income insurance plans will cover
50 - 60 percent of your annual
income for a predetermined peri
od of time. You’ll want to study
the policy carefully to understand
all of the provisions, including the
definition of disability, the wait
ing period following disability .
before you can collect, and the
length of the payment period.
5. No Estate Plan—Some people
have the impression that estate
planning is just for the rich.
Unfortunately, that view can be
costly to their heirs. Your estate
includes such items as your
WOMEN©
MR*
They’re professional, knowledgeable, dedicated to our
S community, and they live & shop right in your neighborhood! E
| This Section Spotlights Many |
| Local Women Who Have All |
| Contributed To Our |
| Growing Community. |
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= Contact your
a K w
§ Forsyth County News ( ' i
s Account Executive before X/f
S June 16th, 1998.
f Don't miss out BnSOSmS
lon this
special edition.
| Publishes lune 28th. I
| 770-887-3126 I
I Forsyth County News ■ f
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Fridiy, Jun« 5,19 M I
home, cash, investment personal
properly, and other assets you and
your spouse may own jointly or
as community property. These
may add up to a lot more than
you thought you were worth.
Federal estate taxes begin at 37
percent for estates valued at more
than $600,000 and can climb as
high as 60 percent for larger
estates. Add in state death taxes
and final expenses, and your
death can be quite costly to your
loved ones.
You owe it to your family to
have an estate plan in place. An
effective will, a trust arrange
ment, and adequate life insurance
are some of the options available
to you to help your heirs get what
they deserve. Consult your tax,
Timothy I
Eckel
legal, and financial advisors for
help in putting together an estate
plan.
“To err is human” is yet another
pearl of wisdom. Sure, everyone
makes mistakes, but all of the
ones outlined above can be avoid
ed. With proper insurance and
financial strategies, you can steer
past those costly blunders and be
on the road to financial success.
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