Volume 2 Number 42 October 17, 2005

The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said: “I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” This past Saturday at the annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service, we celebrated the dedication, hard work and devotion of five Florida firefighters who died last year in the line of duty. They were Edward Peters, 40, from the Florida Division of Forestry, Tallahassee; David Mackie, 35, Orange City Fire Department, Orange City; Benjamin Lang, 22, Polk County Fire Department, Bartow; Robert Heighton, 40, South Walton Fire District, Santa Rosa Beach; and Randy Henderson, 42, USDA Forest Service, Bienville Ranger District, Forest, MS, Osceola National Forest.   We are extremely grateful to these men and women for answering the call to serve and to their families for supporting them.  Their ultimate sacrifice will not be forgotten. I would like to encourage all Floridians to take the time to visit the Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial at the State Fire College in Ocala as well as to the Fallen Firefighter Wall of Honor located on the Plaza Level of the Capitol Building.  Both of these memorials were established to honor Florida's firefighters. Our communities are safer because of the men and women who answer the call when the fire alarm sounds.

GALLAGHER ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE ESSAY CONTEST TO PROMOTE FINANCIAL EDUCATION AMONG TEENS Contest offers teens a chance to win up to $750 Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher unveiled an essay contest aimed at encouraging investor education among middle and high school students in Florida.  The contest, “Cash in on Your Money Smarts,” offers teens a chance at more than $7,500 in prizes statewide, with a top individual award of $750 for one student in each of five geographic regions.  “This contest offers Florida teens a unique opportunity to be rewarded for their knowledge of smart investing and their persuasive writing skills,” said Gallagher.  “Learning these valuable skills now will help pave the way for a lifetime of financial success.” The essay contest is part of Gallagher’s statewide public education initiative, Your Money, Your Life, which is designed to help Floridians make better informed financial decisions.  Gallagher launched the program in 2004 after learning that many Floridians put themselves at financial risk by waiting too late to save and by running up debt.  The program includes a comprehensive educational website available at www.yourmoneyyourlife.org.    CONTINUED

GALLAGHER APPLAUDS AGREEMENT TO PAY MILLIONS TO HURRICANE VICTIMS Tom Gallagher, Florida’s chief financial officer, applauded the agreement between Nationwide Insurance Company and the Office of Insurance Regulation to correct millions in underpayment of insurance claims resulting from the 2004 hurricanes.  Gallagher’s Department of Financial Services compiled the complaint files and hurricane deductible information used in the investigation and audits. “I congratulate the insurance commissioner for reaching this agreement with Nationwide,” said Gallagher.  “The level of complaints my office received from Floridians definitely indicated that consumers were not being treated fairly.  This agreement should go a long way toward making the consumers whole.”

TIPS FOR SAFE BANKING OVER THE INTERNET As use of the Internet continues to expand, financial institutions are offering online services to consumers. The Internet offers the potential for safe, convenient new ways to shop for financial services and conduct banking business, any day, any time. However, safe banking online involves making good choices—decisions that will help you avoid costly surprises or even scams. Here are some recommendations for using online banking systems: Confirm that an online financial institution is legitimate and that deposits are federally insured. Be sure to read key information about the financial institution posted on its website such as a brief history of the institution, the official name and address of the institution’s headquarters, and information about its insurance coverage from the FDIC, NCUA, or another insurer. Protect yourself from fraudulent websites that deliberately use a name or web address very similar to a real financial institution. The intent is to lure you onto their website and obtain your personal account number and password information. Always check to see that you have typed the correct website address for your financial institution before conducting a transaction.  CONTINUED