Happy Wednesday! In this week's BIg I Buzz, we are sharing tips to keep cooking fires from ruining your holiday and how financial fears are affecting life insurance sales. 

Keep Thanksgiving Cooking Fires at Bay

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) highlights Thanksgiving as a day witnessing three times more cooking fires than an average day, attributing 53% of reported home fires, 38% of home fire injuries, and 18% of home fire deaths to cooking mishaps. To safeguard against these incidents during holiday meal preparations, the NFPA stresses precautions. Their recommendations in case of a cooking fire involve swiftly leaving the building and shutting the door behind to contain the fire, contacting local emergency services, ensuring a clear exit path if attempting to extinguish the fire, and having pot lids nearby to smother small grease fires by turning off the burner, covering the pan, and allowing it to cool completely.

Here are 10 tips from FEMA for how to keep cooking fires from ruining your holiday: 

1. Stay near the food while you are cooking on the stovetop. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove burners. 

2. Most cooking fires start while frying food, so keep an extra-close eye on those dishes as they cook. 

3. Roll up your sleeves while you cook to reduce the chance of them catching fire. 

4. Keep an eye on children and pets to make sure they  stay away from the stove. 

5. If you see any smoke or grease boiling while cooking, immediately turn the burner off.

6. If you have an oven fire, keep the door closed and turn off the oven. Keep the oven door closed until it has fully cooled. 

7. Move flammable items - like dishtowels and curtains - away from the stove before you begin cooking. 

8. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to keep people from accidentally running into them and knocking them off the stove or tipping them over. 

9. Turkey fryers should only be used outdoors. They should also be placed on a level, sturdy surface away from flammable materials. 

10. Check your smoke alarms to make sure they are functioning properly before you begin cooking Thanksgiving dinner. 

Financial Fears Encourage, Inhibit Life Insurance Sales

LIMRA's recent research reveals a strong correlation between financial fears and the desire to purchase life insurance, with those harboring financial worries being over five times more likely to consider buying coverage. However, despite this inclination, affordability remains a significant barrier, leading many individuals to forgo purchasing life insurance. Jennifer Douglas from LIMRA emphasized the paradox where financial fears, while driving interest in life insurance, also hinder its acquisition due to affordability concerns. To bridge this gap, LIMRA suggests that financial advisors understand and address clients' core financial fears holistically, aiming to cater to underserved markets and close the life insurance gap. The study underscores the importance of trust between consumers and financial advisors, highlighting that individuals are more inclined to share their financial fears if they have a trustworthy relationship with a professional. This trust-based approach might encourage more comprehensive solutions tailored to individual financial concerns.

Give Back During the Holidays - IIAW Emerging Leaders Volunteer Event at Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee.
This year we are organizing a group volunteer outing at Hunger Task Force in West Milwaukee. We will be packing stockboxes which are boxes of healthy non-perishable foods for low-income seniors. This takes place at their warehouse at 5000 W. Electric Ave., in West Milwaukee. Must be able to lift 30 lbs. Register to volunteer here:  https://www.iiaw.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1795468&group=

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