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Social Work Month

March is Social Work Month, an annual observation focused on showcasing the important contributions social workers make to society. This year’s theme, “Social Workers are Essential,” was chosen because it highlights the critical role social workers play in our communities, especially as the country addresses the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are currently about 700,000 social workers in the United States. BLS also estimates there’ll be more than 800,000 social workers by 2029, making it one of the fastest growing professions in in the country.

Social workers are dedicated to improving human well-being and enhancing the basic needs of all people, especially the most vulnerable among us. They’re trained to help people address personal and systemic barriers to optimal living.

West Bend thanks these dedicated individuals for effecting positive change with individuals, families, groups, and entire communities.

National Consumer Protection Week

February 28 – March 6 is National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW). This year marks the 24th observance of NCPW, which focuses on helping people understand their consumer rights and make well-informed decisions about money. During NCPW, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) works with local, state, and national government agencies and consumer protection groups to deliver information and advice on scams, identity theft, and other consumer protection issues.

While we’ve all heard about scams on the news or from family and friends, you may be surprised to learn how prevalent and diverse they are. The FTC recently released some eye-opening stats on fraud in 2020:

• The FTC received more than 2.2 million reports of fraud, with people stating they lost nearly $3.3 billion.
• Imposter scams topped the list, with almost 500,000 reports totaling $1.2 billion lost.
• Online shopping / negative reviews was the second most reported category, accounting for more than 350,000 complaints, totaling losses of more than $245 million.
• Through settlements and enforcement actions, the FTC returned $483 million to consumers who had fallen victim to shady companies that violate the law.

The best protection against scams and fraud is staying alert and questioning when something doesn’t seem quite right. Check out these tips from the FTC on How to Avoid a Scam. Then, to stay informed on known scams and other consumer protection issues, you can also visit the FTC Blog Archive or sign up for their Consumer Alerts Email Updates.

Informational mailing sent to customers

Over the past year, West Bend policyholders received a notice in their new and renewal policies informing them that we will amend our company’s Articles of Incorporation at our annual meeting on March 9, 2021. The Wisconsin Statutes requires that we notify our policyholders of these changes.

All West Bend bond principals are also required to receive this notice; however, since the term periods for our bonds vary, we were unable to send the notices with new and renewal bond business. Therefore, bond principals were notified through a mass mailing. Many of the notices have been sent; some will be mailed soon. If you’re a West Bend bond principal and you receive this notice, its purpose is informational only. No action is necessary.