It is not too late to enroll in a health plan for 2023. Open enrollment is extended until January 15th with coverage taking effect February 1st. There have been some changes in the law, so please reach out if you need coverage. Email us info@macombinsurance.com or click here to get started.
Our Operation During COVID-19
Updated 6/8/2020: Our lobby is now open and we are fully staffed. We will be wearing face masks when meeting with you and we ask that you do the same to keep everyone as healthy as possible.
Our agency will continue to be open as an essential business during the state wide “Shelter in Place” order. With a top priority of keeping our staff and clients healthy while providing the service our clients have come to expect, we are implementing the following precautions.
Our Lobby will be closed to foot traffic, but we have drop slot in our front door for any payments or other documents needing delivered.
We will be operating with half our staff in the office and half working from home, alternating weekly. If you call in, you may work with a member of our team that you have not before, but rest assured, each person is very capable of assisting you and in contact with your regular representative.
Email and phone service will go uninterupted.
Please reach out anytime we can be of service and thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented conditions. Please stay safe, we will all get through this together.
Credit Freeze – Yes We’re Talking About it Again.
More than likely, you are a victim of a data security breach also known as identity theft. Probably more than once, but most notably, as part of the recent Equifax incident that impacts over 143,000,000 individuals. That is nearly half of the U.S. population that had personal information such as name, date of birth, social security number, and address taken with malicious intentions.
The criminals with all of this personal information are likely selling it to other criminals who will use it to create fraudulent identities in order to set up credit cards and other forms of theft. Since it is linked to valid identities, it creates a myriad of problems for the real person by destroying their credit file. After an identity theft, it is up to the innocent victim to spend the countless hours necessary to rebuild their credit and prove that they are responsible citizens.
So what can you do? First is to set up free credit monitoring through Credit Karma at www.creditkarma.com. This will allow you to keep a watchful eye on the activity associated with your personal identity. This does require you to be proactive in watching and react quickly when you see something suspicious.
The second and most effective step is to freeze your credit which prevents anyone from being able to access your credit file without your approval. This involves writing a letter requesting a freeze and sending it along with proof of ID to the three main credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In Illinois, it also requires you send a $10 payment with each letter. Once your request is processed, each company will send you a letter confirming the freeze which will include a personal identification number “PIN” that you will need to keep in a safe place.
Whenever you need to allow for a lender to access your file, you simply call in to the appropriate credit bureau to request a temporary “thaw” of your file by providing them with the PIN and the timeframe you want it to be lifted.
While this sounds like a lot of trouble, freezing your credit file is the ounce of prevention that will prevent the hours of headaches and heartburn that plague victims of identity theft. To help make this process easier for anyone willing to follow through with the credit freeze, I have provided the letter templates here. Stay vigilant.
Beau Ingledue of PGIB is your Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider!
Purdum Gray Ingledue Beck is happy to announce that Beau Ingledue of Purdum Gray Ingledue Beck, is now a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider. Dave Ramsey is a trusted voice in America concerning money and business matters. He is a personal money-management expert, radio personality, and has authored four New York Times best-selling books. Throughout the country, Dave has a network of professionals called Endorsed Local Providers (ELP) that he refers his listeners to for services related to financial management.
One of the requirements to be an ELP is to have the heart of a teacher and to provide the highest level of customer service. Beau Ingledue, agency principal of PGIB that was selected to be an ELP for Western Illinois, has exactly those qualities. With over 20 years of insurance experience, he has demonstrated the heart of a teacher to his clients and members of the local community by presenting on money management topics over the years as well as following those principles in his own life. Ashley Riggins will also assist Dave Ramsey clients at the agency and has been at the agency for four years and completed the Dave Ramsey training as well.
As an independent agency, Purdum Gray Ingledue Beck works for their clients through their access to hundreds of companies and products to suit almost any need. Whether it’s auto insurance, home insurance, health insurance, business insurance, professional liability, life insurance, employee benefits or any of the other many types, we have relationships with strong companies to provide the coverage. PGIB can be contacted at 309.833.1755 or by emailing info@macombinsurance.com.
Who did you look up-to when you were a child?
January is National Youth Mentoring Month, so it seems appropriate to put a spotlight on a great mentoring organization.
Mentoring can mean different things to different people, but one thing I think we can all agree on, is that a quality mentor can have a positive lifelong impact on the child. While some children find mentors through teachers, coaches, pastors and other role models, some need help finding the right person. In our area we are fortunate to have an organization dedicated to this mission.
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) provides a proven structure that matches children with adults that can offer the greatest mentoring benefit. Once matched, they provide ongoing support to be sure that both parties are getting what they expect, if not greater. Beyond this, BBBS keeps the match active by providing engaging activities and supporting everyone involved.
I had personally been a “big brother” for a number of years and found the time together to be as rewarding to me as it was for the child. I think we both learned from the experience and became better people as a result. This was done through simple activities rather than formal structure or uncomfortable conversations. We might go fishing, hiking, play a game, go sledding, or anything else that we agreed on, but he always knew that I could be counted on.
The overwhelmingly positive impact of BBBS is studied and documented. Children get better grades, have higher self esteem and make better choices when they know someone cares. This is not to say their parents don’t care, but sometimes it takes a friend to listen keep them accountable in a non parenting way. So my guess as to why adults do not take the first step towards becoming a mentor involves fear that it takes too much time. While you are making a commitment, it is generally about three hours per week or less if you check out the “school-based” program which usually involves lunch and possibly recess time.
Want to learn more about the BBBS programs in the McDonough County area, call Pete at 309-837-5437. Other ways you can help the BBBS succeed is to get involved with their fundraisers such as Bowl for Kids Sake, the Plant Sale, and the one coming up the soonest, Trivia Night on March 4th.
Do something BIG, support mentoring!
Beau Ingledue
Happy Holidays and Business Hours
The owners and staff of Purdum Gray Ingledue Beck wish you a very safe happy holiday season.
Please note our business hours below:
Friday, December 23 – Open Until Noon
Monday, December 26, Closed
Friday, December 30- Open Until Noon
Monday, January 2 – Closed
Please call Beau at 309-333-1292 should you have an urgent matter.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We would like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to all of our clients. We know you have a number of choices for your insurance coverage, and we appreciate you placing your trust in us.
Please note we will close Wednesday 11/23 at 2:00 pm and reopen with normal business hours on Monday 11/28.
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
PGIB Staff
PGIB Upgrading Agency Management System
On August 1, 2016 Purdum Gray Ingledue Beck will be changing agency management systems. This change will allow for more efficiency and capabilities when serving our clients in the future, which is always our goal. While we are excited about this shift and expect that it will be a great change for the agency and allow us to serve our clients even better, we ask for your patience during our transition next week while requests could take longer than usual to process. We look forward to continuing to serve our clients first, as we have in the past while adapting our technology for the future! As always, we can be reached at 309.833.1755 or info@macombinsurance.com.
Closed in Observance of Independence Day
We would like to wish our clients and friends a terrific and safe Independence Day.
In order to allow our staff the opportunity to enjoy the holiday we will close at 2PM on Friday, July 1st and reopen on Tuesday, July 5th at 7:30AM. Should you have an emergency while we are closed, please call Beau at 309-333-1292.
Have a safe holiday weekend!
Memorial Day
We would like to wish our clients and friends a terrific and safe Memorial Day.
In order to allow our staff the opportunity to enjoy the holiday we will close at 2PM on Friday, May 27th and reopen on Tuesday, May 31st at 7:30AM.
Should you have an emergency during this time, please contact Beau Ingledue at 309-333-1292.