First Community Financial Group, Inc. Blog
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![]() Memorial Day weekend in Livingston, Texas can be a busy one for many. The three-day holiday that marks the unofficial start of summer is a great opportunity for family activities, which can leave little time for the original purpose of the holiday: honoring those who have died while serving in America's armed forces. There is a way, though, that you can participate in Memorial Day commemorations, and it only takes a moment. Here’s what to do: Pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silent reflection in honor and remembrance of those who have died in service to our nation. Of course, there are other ways to honor our fallen heroes, too. Here are a few:
The concept of Memorial Day dates back to 1868, then known as Decoration Day, a time to place flowers at the graves of our war dead. Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic established Decoration Day, with the first national celebration occurring on May 30, 1868. In 1971, it was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress that also moved it to the last Monday in May. We hope you’ll join us at [agency name] in taking part in the moment of silence, known as the National Moment of Remembrance, and other Memorial Day traditions in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We will forever be grateful for their service.
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![]() Watercraft Insurance Most home insurance policies have limited coverage for boats. If you own a boat, watercraft insurance is your best bet: It covers theft, damage, and injuries or accidents while you’re on the water, as well as some of your expensive watersports gear. Every summer, our team gets calls from customers after a fun weekend on the water takes a turn for the worse. Often, these accidents could have been prevented with just a few simple precautions. Here are a few tips we like – courtesy of our partners at Safeco. Don’t let an accident wreck your fun! Life Preservers Aren’t Just for Kids. It’s not enough to just have life jackets on board — wear them! In an accident, people rarely have time to reach for a life jacket. This rule applies to adults, not just children: More people in their 30s die in boating accidents than any other age group. Life vests have come a long way in style. Today, you can even get vests for your water-loving dog! Watercraft Insurance Most home insurance policies have limited coverage for boats. If you own a boat, watercraft insurance is your best bet: It covers theft, damage, and injuries or accidents while you’re on the water, as well as some of your expensive watersports gear. Watch the Back of the Boat. Carbon monoxide kills in minutes. So tell your passengers where your exhaust pipes are located and turn off your engine when people are in the water, and don't let passengers "ski" or “teak-surf” by holding on to the back of the boat. Both Washington and Oregon made teak-surfing illegal in the last few years, after several tragic deaths. Carbon monoxide detectors are standard on most new boats; older boats install devices for less than $100. Alcohol and Boating Don't Mix. More than 50 percent of drowning’s result from boating incidents involving alcohol. You don’t drink and drive, so don’t boat and drive. Boats Need TLC Too. When you're out on the water, make sure your gas tanks are vented and bilges are free of vapors, oil, waste and grease. Carry a charged fire extinguisher. Have your boat's operating systems checked yearly by a certified marine technician. The Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons also offer free vessel safety checks. Experience Counts! The U.S. Coast Guard says that operator errors account for 70 percent of all boating accidents. Make sure anyone who drives your boat is properly trained. You can also earn boat insurance discounts from Safeco and other insurers if you complete a safety course with the Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons. Sites for Information: Coast Guard: www.uscgboating.org Coast Guard Auxiliary: nws.cgaux.org/ Safeco tips: www.safeco.com/insurance-101/consumer-tips/your-boat Call one of our agents at 936-327-4364 or e-mail info@firstcfg.com for more info. Please use the contact link at the top of the page! Watercraft Insurance
Most home insurance policies have limited coverage for boats. If you own a boat, watercraft insurance is your best bet: It covers theft, damage, and injuries or accidents while you’re on the water, as well as some of your expensive watersports gear. ![]() High school is full of defining moments for Texas teens and two of the highlights for most are prom and graduation. However, this time of year often sees other, more tragic defining moments - serious car accidents involving teens who are distracted or even under the influence of alcohol or drugs. At First Community Financial Group, we want to help make this season one to celebrate for you and your teen. So, with the help of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, here are some tips that can keep your teen safe. First, encourage your teen to follow these general safe-driving rules: Absolutely no alcohol Always use seat belts No cell phone use (including texting) while driving Special circumstances Of course, special events such as prom and graduation often present special circumstances. There may be dinner with dates before the dance, and parties before or after either event. It’s a good idea to discuss your expectations well before each event, putting some guidelines into place before your teen heads out for the night. Here are some ideas: Make sure you know the itinerary of the evening, as well as who else will be with your teen. You should have contact information for everyone. Have a way to contact your teen at all times. You may want to require them to check in with you once or twice over the course of the evening. Set a curfew, whether they are coming back to your home or staying with a friend. If they are staying elsewhere, make sure the curfew will be enforced by a responsible adult. Discuss with your teen how to handle difficult situations, such as facing pressure to drink, or accepting a ride with someone who shouldn’t be driving. It’s a good idea to provide your child with money for a taxi just in case. Offer a “no-questions-asked” ride home, should they need one during the evening. If you’re worried about your teen driving, consider alternate transportation. A car service or limousine will provide a responsible, experienced adult driver. You also will be able to limit changes to the itinerary and contact the driver. Prom and graduation in Texas are special times in a teen’s life. And just a little common sense will go a long way toward making sure your young adult is around to enjoy the other milestones that are sure to come. ![]() As the second Sunday of May nears, it’s time to think of ways to celebrate mothers - although, of course, that’s a worthy pursuit at any time of year! At First Community Financial Group, we thought it would be fun to give you a little of the history behind Mother’s Day, as well as a few ideas to honor the special women in all our lives. Ancient beginnings According to MothersDayCentral.com, the ancient Egyptians held an annual festival to honor “the mother of the pharaohs” - the goddess Isis. This is one of the earliest historical records of a society celebrating a mother. How Mother’s Day came to be in the U.S. In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, a social activist and poet (and author of the lyrics for “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) had became distraught by the toll of the Civil War. She issued a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” that year, calling on mothers to protest the killing and create a day celebrating peace and motherhood. Howe’s proclamation did not result in a national Mother’s Day, but in 1908, Anna Jarvis of West Virginia took up the cause. She wanted to accomplish her mother’s dream of making a celebration of all mothers. By 1909, more than 40 states were holding Mother’s Day services, even though it was not a national holiday. In 1912, according to Wikipedia, West Virginia was the first state to officially observe Mother’s Day. Jarvis continued to promote the day until President Woodrow Wilson made it an official national holiday in 1914. She later regretted creating the holiday, believing that it had become too commercialized. Enough with the history – where are the gift ideas? Like us at First Community Financial Group, we know you might have more urgent concerns on your mind, like last-minute shopping, so here are the most popular Mother’s Day gifts, according to MothersDayCentral.com. And remember, shop LOCAL when you can! Flowers Gift baskets Personalized gifts Jewelry Perfume Spa gifts Magazines Of course, perhaps the best gift of all is getting in touch and letting the moms in your life know just how much they mean to you. Happy Mother’s Day! ![]() For many of our neighbors in Livingston and East Texas, summer means more than sunshine and vacations. It also means working in the yard - often with tools that can be dangerous if not used properly. Each year about 400,000 people are treated for injuries from lawn and garden tools, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Don't let your landscaping efforts land you in the hospital! Follow these handy safety tips. Tool safety tips from the U.S. CPSC
![]() On April 22, the 53nd annual Earth Day is expected to include more than 1 billion people in nearly 200 countries taking part in what the Earth Day Network calls "the largest civic-focused day of action in the world." Since the first Earth Day in 1970 (which was connected to the passage of the Clean Air Act that year), there have been many environmental victories—such as passing and strengthening laws for cleaner air and water, expanding Marine Protected Areas, reducing overfishing, even improving our ability to predict extreme weather events. Scientists say more progress is needed if we are to slow the impact of climate change, and carbon emissions are a major threat, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Since the mid-1800s, the agency notes, carbon concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by about 40%. Because of their warming effect on the planet over time, carbon emissions can contribute to severe weather, rising sea levels, and other significant issues. You might think the problem is so big there's nothing you can do about it—but there are many ways you can help reduce these emissions. Here are three things the environmental organization Carbon Offsets To Alleviate Poverty (COTAP) recommends to lower your carbon footprint and do your part to help the planet: 1. Don't drive so much—and when you do drive, be fuel-efficient. Driving a conventional vehicle burns fossil fuels, so the less you drive, the less carbon you emit. (Even electric cars typically have a carbon footprint, depending on the type of energy used to charge them.) You also can lower your emissions by keeping your car well-maintained and driving sensibly: To maximize your gas mileage, don't speed excessively or accelerate suddenly, and make sure your tires are properly inflated. 2. Limit your air travel. Everybody loves vacations, but airplane flights generate a lot of carbon emissions: For every roundtrip transatlantic flight, 30 square feet of Arctic sea ice is lost, according to Climate Central, an independent organization of climate scientists and journalists. When you want to get away, choose shorter flights, or try "staycations" closer to home. Also, if you travel for work, consider videoconferencing tools instead. 3. Look around the house. There are plenty of other ways to lower your impact on the environment—and saving energy in your home is a great start. Make sure your home is insulated properly to keep things warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer without cranking the thermostat up or down. Choose appliances that are energy-efficient. Even something as simple as replacing incandescent light bulbs with LEDs (and turning lights off when you're not using them) can help. However you choose to mark Earth Day, remember that little steps can create a big impact. Maybe you can bike to work a couple of times a month. Walk to the market instead of driving. Leave the AC off until the hottest days of summer. It all adds up—for you, for those you share the planet with, and those who will come after you, too. Content provided by Safeco Ins. First Community Financial Group Incorporated (safeco.com) ![]() For many, the winter months are a welcome time to escape the short days and chilly temperatures by heading on vacation to Galveston, Florida, Mexico, or beyond. And is there a better way to celebrate the end of winter than to take a spring break? Whether you’re going to hang out at Kemah or the Galveston boardwalk, bask on a sunny, white-sand beach in the Caribbean or hit the slopes for some skiing or snowboarding, you have to take precautions to ensure your home stays safe while you’re away. After all, what could be worse than returning from a relaxing break or an active adventure to find a disaster has occurred, such as a break-in, or water or fire damage? To ensure your vacation doesn’t end in tragedy, follow these tips before you go.
If you have the opportunity to get away for_spring_break, we wish you happy trails, and hope you come home to a safe and welcoming home! Contact Us! At First Community Financial Group, we can work with you to make sure you've got the coverage you need, while at the same time using all possible credits and discounts to make that coverage affordable. Just give us a call at 936-327-4364 or send us a note at info@firstcfg.com (please use the contact buttons at the top of the page). We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what's important to you is protected! Content provided by Safeco Insurance ![]() In most places in the United States, March 12, 2023, is Daylight Saving, when clocks are moved forward one hour. We here at First Community Financial Group want to remind you it’s also a great time to improve your family’s safety. Be safe in your Texas home Health and safety agencies often use the approach of Daylight-Saving Time to remind people to change the batteries in their smoke alarms. The American Red Cross suggests you test your smoke alarms and talk with your family about your fire escape plan. Whether you live in Texas or elsewhere, practice the plan too – at least twice a year. Daylight Saving is a great time to check your emergency preparedness kit to make sure it’s fully stocked with fresh supplies. Carbon Monoxide a concern too According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 400 people die annually in the US from carbon monoxide poisoning. The CDC recommends changing the batteries in your CO detectors when moving your clocks forward this Sunday. The CDC says the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. See the CDC’s site for more ways to prevent carbon monoxide exposure. We here at First Community Financial Group hope these tips help and that you’ll consider sharing them with the people you care about so they can live safer lives too. ![]() Livingston, TX parents, March 2 was Read Across America Day! We here at First Community Financial believe there are so many reasons to encourage children to read. First of all, it’s fun! It’s also an activity that promotes learning and independent thought. But, perhaps most important, becoming a reader can mean the difference between success and difficulty later in life. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, children who read proficiently by the end of third grade are more likely to graduate from high school than those who don’t. They also are more likely to be economically successful as adults. The National Education Association (NEA) is well aware of the impact that literacy can have on a young person’s life. That’s why the organization started Read Across America in 1998. Held on the school day closest to the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss (March 2), the event goes beyond promoting reading for just one day. It also provides tools for educators and parents to create lifelong readers. We here at [insert agency name] want you to have a few tricks up your sleeve to promote reading at home. After all, one of the most crucial factors for the success of young readers is parental involvement. According to the U.S. Department of Education, when involvement is low, reading scores are 46 points below the national average. So how can you encourage your child to read? Here are some tips from the NEA and the Public Broadcasting Service’s “Between the Lions” show:
Too often, our hectic schedules mean we take less time to do the things we enjoy. So, remember, reading with children isn’t just fun for them — it should be fun for you, too! After all, as Dr. Seuss himself wrote, “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.” ![]() If you love the water, few things are better than boating season. Summer just wouldn’t be summer without spending those long, hot days on Lake Livingston, cooling off with a lazy dip in the water, dropping a line in hopes of catching a “big one,” or having an action-packed day of waterskiing and tubing. Boating is not without its share of pre-summer preparation. If you’re not on the ball early, it’s easy to find yourself midway through July still on dry land. At First Community Financial Group, we want to ensure you’re first in line at the boat launch at the first sign of the season change, so here are a few tips for being ahead of the game.
We at First Community Financial Group wish you a fun-filled and safe boating season on all of the beautiful waters of the State of Texas! Call us today to get a boat quote or check your coverage. We'd love to help! |
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