Hands-free phones aren't risk-free. The major distraction with mobile phones is the conversation and making and receiving phone calls, so drivers are similarly distracted whether they use a conventional cell phone or a hands-free device.

Farmers has repeatedly stressed that we are doing everything we can to find coverage for Ethel Adams. We have believed all along that key pieces of evidence, such as the final investigative police report, and a surveillance tape, would support our belief of additional negligence in this matter and would allow us to grant coverage. These have not yet been made available.

Homeowners should review their policy each year on renewal to make sure they have enough coverage to rebuild their house in the exact style and quality of the original home. Raw materials such as lumber and stone continue to rise as do labor costs for construction.

Because of our belief that the facts will ultimately support a position of coverage for Ethel Adams, and because the Washington Department of Insurance has asked us to take action, we will on this occasion act based on our own circumstantial information and in the belief that the facts, once released to us, will also support coverage for Adams. We are confident in this case that the police report and surveillance tape will substantiate the circumstantial evidence we have. We look forward to getting this information.

Many homeowners are not adequately adjusting their policy to cover the new value of their home. Often, the only time people review their homeowners insurance is when they first purchase the home.

With people away from their homes -- at parties, shopping or just at work -- the holidays can be an open invitation for burglars. Homeowners can help stop these crimes by installing and using a home security system or by attaching motion sensors to their outdoor lighting.