Volunteering at North San Diego County Food Bank

Name: Alta Vista Insurance Agency
Address: 2585 Pio Pico Dr Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA, 92008
Telephone: 888-724-2124

Posted on March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 by Beth Walls

We can’t stay away!! We were back (last Friday) at North County San Diego Food Bank, Vista branch location, where we volunteered to help fill 853 bags of food going to local elementary school children and their families!! We had such a good time supporting this great cause while spending quality time together off site! Thank you to everyone who participated, including our special industry friends, Sandi and Nancy!!!

Left to Right: Beth Walls, Sandi Grigg (Hanover), Jim Owen, Nancy Trejo (Safeco), Morgan Hege, Holly BIshop, Vira Rodriguez, Tandy Owen, Dawn Grant

We really appreciate the opportunity to get involved. The Food Bank does an amazing job supporting members of our community with food insecurities! If you are interested in volunteering or you know someone who needs food support please go their website for more information: https://northcountyfoodbank.org/

~Community Service Volunteer Project ~ and Morgan’s 50th Birthday December 2022!

Posted on December 16, 2022December 16, 2022 by Morgan Hege

We were at it again! Back to the North County San Diego Food Bank Vista branch location to volunteer as a group. Afterwards we took a little “R-&-R” at Belching Beaver PUB 980 – Where I highly recommend the BBQ chicken flat bread. Also, everyone really liked the “Nitro Stout Peanut Butter Ale,” Sounds Yummy!

From left to right: Jim & Tandy Owen, Holly Bishop, Nancy Trejo (Safec), Diane Nagle(Mercury), Morgan Hege, Beth Walls, and Raymond Lowder

Our Alta Vista Insurance Agency team were joined by Diane Nagle from Mercury Insurance and Nancy Trejo from Safeco. Two of our favorite carrier partners! It’s great to see the people behind the policies at our carrier relationships out in the community making a difference for the kids that need it. THANK YOU BOTH NANCY FROM SAFECO and DIANE FROM MERCURY!

In the 2 hours we were there, we were able to complete 477 bags to go out to various middle schools around North San Diego County for kids with food insecurity to be able to take home over the weekend when they don’t have access to free and reduced lunch service at their school. We were “Group 1” and completed 214 of the bags, and “Group 2” completed 263. But really the kids are the winners!

Did I mention it was also my 50th birthday? Thank you everyone on our team for the happy birthday wishes! You all make working together a lot of fun! I appreciate each and every one one of you!

Back in the day…

Posted on July 14, 2022July 14, 2022 by Morgan Hege

Back in the day, while taking an auto insurance application by phone, I asked a client if his wife was employed? He said no, and she said, ” YES I AM!” (this is dating myself, it was back when Roseanne Barr was doing her stand up.) The wife says, “I’m a DOMESTIC GODDESS!” We all laughed, and then she said. “Put that on the application.” So I did, marked her as employed, and moved on. I really didn’t think twice about it.

A few days later, an underwriting associate at the firm I was with came over to my section, and with their boss, and my boss, and my bosses boss and they kept looking at me while I was on another sales call. Finally my boss came over, and said to not take another call. Needless to say, I finished the call sweating bullets, wondering what could have happened that 1/2 the management team was in my section waiting for me?!

Turns out “Domestic Goddess” is not a job, and cannot go onto an auto insurance application. Who knew?

EDIT: This was decades before Roseanne Barr was cancelled from ABC for being a racist.

Barbecue for Labor Day 2020

Posted on September 10, 2020January 12, 2021 by Morgan Hege

Labor day marks the end of summer and usually the return to school. But here in California it also means the beginning of fire season. Sadly, this year is no exception with over 1.2 million acres burned so far this year nationwide.

Here in San Diego is the Valley Fire near Alpine having burned 17,665 acres as of 9/10/2020. (For more recent updates check the Cal Fire website https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

What does this mean for insuring my property? Many insurance carriers are on new business binding moratorium. Meaning they have closed zip codes where there are active fires. If you are shopping for home insurance, or in escrow and trying to close, this can mean delays in the transaction process.

How else should I prepare? Consider making sure your policy protection is up to date. Standard homeowners insurance policies cover fire and your contents, but more and more frequently we are seeing the standard carriers declining homes for brush. Luckily there is a program set up through the state called the California Fair Plan. However, California Fair Plan policy only covers the structure for fire, and does not provide liability, loss of use, or contents coverage. For that you will need another policy called a “Difference in Conditions” or DIC policy. With the two policies together, you have similar coverage to a normal homeowners policy.

What Are My Next Steps? To learn more about insuring your home in California start by comparing home insurance quotes on our website. If you would prefer to speak to a licensed insurance guide; book an online appointment with one of our agents.

San Diego Food Bank

Posted on May 6, 2019January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Do you even lift, bro?

Get Involved!

“Do you even lift, bro?”

Psh, these guys and the team from Liberty Mutual lifted 18,000 lbs of food for the hungry. These mighty people went to the San Diego Food Bank last Wednesday and helped package heaps of potatoes and other produce.

We love our city!

Interested in volunteering?

Some of their upcoming fun events that you can attend and/or volunteer at:
July 22, 10:30-8pm, Drive Out Hunger Golf Classic, Vista
Sept 7, San Diego Blues Festival, 12-8, Embarcadero
Nov 28, Thanksgiving morning, Run for the Hungry, downtown SD

Thankful for organizations that make a difference in our community!

Expert Advice on Life Insurance

Posted on June 12, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Life happens, and often at the most inconvenient time.

Most clients I speak with don’t know where to start when it comes to life insurance. They think it will be a difficult and scary process.

As someone very familiar with the matter, I can assure you, having a policy provides peace of mind and is easier than you might think.

There are two different types of policies:

Term Life Insurance (lasts 10, 20, or 30 years)
Universal (permanent) Life Insurance.

Most clients I speak to are interested in term life insurance because this is a policy which will typically get them to retirement or will cover them until the kids are out of the house and/or the mortgage is paid off.

When speaking to new clients about life insurance, here are a couple of things I ask them to think about:

Think about your mortgage, car payments, and bills, etc. What would it cost to keep your family just as they are now financially if something were to happen?
Do you want a plan you can put into place and not think about again? Or do you want a plan that offers things such as benefits for critical, chronic or terminal illness?

After getting a sense of what you want to protect we can then look at products and an application.

Putting a policy in place can protect your assets and loved ones. With a trusted insurance adviser to help you through the process, your life insurance fears can be dealt with, potentially providing a well-planned solution at a time when the unexpected happens and you can’t be there.

Call me today at 888.724.2124 or Get a Quote Here!

Get Started

What is Obamacare? Kirby Thomas has your answers

Posted on March 26, 2013January 12, 2021 by Morgan Hege

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51XATE5hFfM

irby Thomas heads up the Employee Benefits Division at Alta Vista Insurance Agency. This video will help you understand the highly debated healthcare plan: Obamacare. Kirby answers many common questions that you may have on Obamacare and how this healthcare plan will affect you and/or your business. Call him today 888-724-2124.

Alta Vista Insurance’s Office Expansion Fun!

Posted on July 9, 2012January 12, 2021 by admin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX22TLnAWPE

We are expanding our offices into the Suite next door. We thought it would be fun to let you guys see the progress of our new suite expansion! New carpet, new paint, the tenant improvements sure look good!

7 Things you didnt know about San Diego County!

Posted on December 16, 2011January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

San Diego’s North County is a vast, expansive region known for its immaculate beaches, natural preserves and miles of open spaces. It is made up of a collection of unique communities, from the picturesque seaside villages of La Jolla, Del Mar and Carlsbad to the scenic Rancho Bernardo, nestled in a lush valley amidst golf courses and wineries. If you’re looking for opportunities for outdoor activities in San Diego, the north region is the ideal spot. From hiking in Torrey Pines State Park and cycling up Palomar Mountain to surfing or kayaking in La Jolla, there is something for everyone. For a true California experience, take a scenic drive along the Pacific coast on historic Highway 101 and explore a range of picturesque coastal communities as you make your way north from Del Mar to Oceanside.

North County is also home to some of San Diego’s top attractions, including the San Diego Safari Park, LEGOLAND California, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the Flower Fields at Carlsbad, and the Museum of Contemporary Art La Jolla. A stay in San Diego’s North region puts you halfway between Disneyland and downtown San Diego where the museums of Balboa Park, the Gaslamp Quarter, SeaWorld San Diego and the San Diego Zoo are nearby.

You think you know San Diego, but you have no idea! Here are 7 things you didn’t know about San Diego

1. San Diego is cursed!

How come San Diego hasn’t won a Super Bowl, World Series, or NBA final, ever? One Ruth-like explanation tossed out there: a curse following the trade of Lance Alworth to the Cowboys after the Chargers AFL-championship 1963 season. That’s powerful juju (Ruth only jinxed ONE sport).

2. Jewel wrote her song “who will save your soul” here!

San Diego’s Java Joe’s and Innerchange Coffeehouse were where folk-“Soul” singer Jewel gained prominence. She moved to horsey suburb Rancho Santa Fe, which showed up in headlines when a cult known as Heaven’s Gate committed mass suicide with the appearance of the Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997.

3. Famous residents!

We all know Ted Williams grew up there, but he’s not alone among sports idols raised there. Think Julie Foudy (women’s soccer), Tony Hawk (skateboarding), and WWE’s Rey Mysterio (a.k.a. Oscar Gutierrez). Our guess? Mr. Mysterio is a good hitter too.

4. McDonalds is the best!

The man who made the Golden Arches our nation’s fast choice, Ray Kroc, made San Diego his home. Queasy, unrelated fact: a McDonald’s in the city’s San Ysidro area served as the site of one America’s biggest mass murders in 1984, when a man killed 21 people. It’s a park now.

5. We are huge!

A possible explanation for mellowness: While Boston is crammed into a mere 48 square miles, San Diego (like, Jacksonville, come to think of it) makes Boston look like a geographic dwarf. San Diego spreads over 372 square miles.

6. God Bless our Military!

San Diego hosts the largest naval fleet in the world. The city is home to the majority of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

7. Alta Vista Insurance Agency is old!

Established in 1927, Alta Vista Insurance is a full service Vista Insurance agency dedicated to providing you with superior California insurance policies. As an independent insurance brokerage located in Vista, they have access to a quality assortment of insurance carriers, offering you the best rates throughout California.