When you take your car in for servicing, be sure to take your house key off the ring. A case in Georgia shocked the public when a woman went to a well-known tire company to have a flat repaired while she waited. Without thinking, she handed her key ring with all her keys on it to the serviceman and waited. What she didn't know was that the business had a machine that makes copies of keys. The business also had her address and phone number in the computer. One of the servicemen copied her apartment key and two days later, entered her apartment and attacked her.

This was a reputable business. Fortunately, the man was caught a few months later. Upon further investigation, the police found that he had done this before. He is now in jail. The moral to the story! Always remove your personal keys from the key ring when having any work done on your car.

This article was suggested to ERIE Agent James Wood from Washington, DC

After a 2 1/2 year detour to Kentucky, Jane's husband's job with Arch Coal and nine grandchildren (5 living in WV) have brought her back to her "home", West Virginia. With the return to the state, she has also returned to Payne and Garlow Insurance as a licensed agent in Property & Casualty and Life & Health Insurances. Jane began her insurance career in 2002, becoming licensed in 2003 and joined the P&G team in May 2003.

"I loved my position at Payne and Garlow from the first week on the job in 2003, and I'm thrilled to be back with such a great group of people representing one of the top insurance carriers, Erie Insurance." (Erie attained the status of No. 461 on the 2011 Fortune 500 list of largest American companies based on total revenue and earned J.D. Power and Associates' award for "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with the Auto Insurance Shopping Experience".) Along with Erie, Payne and Garlow has appointments with several excellent, "A" rated carriers (see our companies listing on our webpage).

Jane is experienced in both personal and commercial lines. "I've been re-acclimating to the carriers and any changes that have taken place since I left and feel confident that Payne and Garlow Insurance is the "go-to" company for all of one's insurance needs." She will be touching base with some of her old customers, but looks forward to building new relationships with people and businesses in the tri-county region. "I almost feel like I never left..."

Whole life is a permanent policy that provides a guaranteed level premium, a guaranteed death benefit, and a guaranteed cash value. Simplified Issue Whole Life Policy Overview:

• Requires only a few medical questions.
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Give us a call at 304-757-6880 and we will connect you to someone who can help you.

Financial security is the comfort of knowing that your family's standard of living is secure even if a life-changing event occurs. It is also about having the means to achieve your most important goals, like buying a house or sending your children to college.

For most people, financial security comes from a combination of savings, insurance, and investments that are accumulated over time. But how do you go about creating a plan that will ensure a financially secure future for your loved ones? Where should you start? How do you balance all of the competing financial priorities?

Knowing what to do with your money and whether you're making the right decisions doesn't need to be a huge source of stress. Whether you've just begun to evaluate your family's long-term financial needs or you already have a game plan in place, here are some important principles to keep in mind when evaluating the state of your family's financial security:

10 Smart Tips

1. Protection first.
2. Life insurance is a must.
3. Save money regularly.
4. Make home ownership a priority.
5. Keep debt in check.
6. A simple investment strategy often works best.
7. Plan for your children's education.
8. Understand your employee benefits.
9. Make the tax laws work for you.
10. Get help from a professional.

How many of these issues have you thought about recently? If you're like most people, not enough. That's why it's a good idea to set aside time every year to make sure your financial plans are keeping up with all the changes in your life.