In the late 70’s Frank and Maria palmer started selling used appliances and swap meets all of southern CA.  From Santa Fe Springs to Palm Springs they were like the post office. No matter the weather they were there selling blenders, toasters, and irons.  The swap meet sales grew and eventually they had saved enough to open a brick and mortar shop in downtown Santa Ana. Not the same building but less than a mile from where we are still located to this day.

As appliances turned in to different electronics and records the business changed into a new invention of itself, selling boom boxes and hit records.  I was often told stories of them playing loud music out the front door of the business that sometimes may have annoyed the neighbors a bit but it did bring in the customers.  As the 80’s progressed the big box stores began to open. Stores like Circuit City, and Best buy could offer much lower prices than the mom and pop electronics shop and Maria and Frank saw the writing on the wall.  It was time to evolve again.

Frank Palmer had a business degree from Cal State LA and before he took a stab at being self-employed he worked at bank of America.  So he had a good grasp on finance and started helping individuals file their taxes out of a small desk in the back of an office in Costa Mesa.  He gained a reputation of being an honest and accurate tax preparer. A reputation we continue to maintain even decades later. But this reputation let to more business and many more clients.  He always seemed to be able to offer great tax preparation and get the highest refunds. So the business once again pivoted. From an electronics store to our current configuration as a financial services business.

When we first started tax prep it was a trickle of clients.  But over time we noticed that may individuals that offered tax preparation Santa Ana where being taken advantage of.  Preparers keeping part of their refunds or charging ridiculous amounts of money for this service.  We here at palmer swore that we would never take advantage of the ones who though their patronage put food on our table.  So we offered honest and accurate service for a fair price. This philosophy is what made us grow and survive through the ebbs and flows of the economic climate in the last 30 years.

We have seen so many changes over the last 30 years.  Multiple tax laws, changes, and presidential administrations.  Our staff though all of this always do their homework and keeps up with the most recent laws (sometimes to the benefit and sometimes to the disadvantage) of our clients.  We have given out tens of millions of dollars in refunds to thousands of patrons over the years and truly nothing makes us happier.  

You could say that what put our tax preparation near me business on the map was the 24-hour refund anticipation loan.  We were the first office to offer this service in the early ’90s and although it is available in many other places now we were the first to offer it and still do to this day.  

About 7 years ago Frank and Maria Palmer decided to take a step back from the business leaving it in the capable hands of myself there youngest son Michael and longtime office manager Danilo Martell.  Things have definitely changed once again in the business but not for the worse. We continue to gain new clients every year as our reputation continues to spread within the community of Santa Ana. If you google anything like Tax preparation near me, Tax preparation Santa Ana, Or even just Tax Preparation we will pop up.  We have highly reviewed across all social network and business rating websites.  We have dozens of 5-star reviews across Yelp and Google and those continue to grow.

So if you are looking for an Honest, Reputable, And knowledgeable Tax prep office in Santa Ana we are the people to come see.  We offer appointments and are open 7 days a week for the foreseeable future. Our hours do change as tax season goes on so please check online as we do keep them updated on all business listing sites.  I truly hope you have all enjoyed this story of how our business came to be and look forward to seeing our long-time clients and meeting the new ones.

The post The best Tax Preparation in Santa Ana first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

 Although many times we are able to lower auto rates our products in no way shape or form would qualify as Cheap insurance.  Sure the price is lower than other places but the product you receive is not cheap insurance. I would call it Inexpensive, yeah, Inexpensive Insurance.  The companies we represent like Mercury Insurance are top level insurance companies and many people think that because of that the price may be higher. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Companies like Mercury Insurance are able to keep their prices so low because they only allow good drivers to enroll with them.  So many may call this cheap insurance that statement could not be further from the truth.  Now if you are not what one would consider a California good driver (this means you have less than 2 points on your driving records) then we also have other companies that would suit your needs. 

Now these companies are a bit more expensive but unfortunately, that is the nature of the beast. If you have had tickets or accidents in the past these points will raise your rate but we still have amazing rates for drivers in these situations.  Although many times someone may be looking for Car Insurance near Santa Ana but not find the rate they want we are able to meet there needs because we do not charge brokers fees.

Let me tell you something about these brokers’ fees.  DO NOT PAY THEM! So many agencies out there’s top priority is to gather brokers fees and that is their number one priority.  That will not happen with us here at Palmer Insurance.  We do not charge and Broker Fees Or service fees.  We could if we wanted to but have chosen not to as many times this is where we find we are able to truly save our clients’ money. 

These fees add up over time and I have seen people pay hundreds in these fees.  It makes me sick and that is and experience you will not have with us here at Palmer.

So what do we take from this? Don’t search cheap insurance Santa Ana, but how about Inexpensive Insurance Santa Ana?

The post It’s inexpensive insurance not Cheap Insurance first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

For Example if you are looking for Car Insurance near Santa Ana where our office is located you will have a better rate than nearly everyone that lives in LA County where insurance is just more expensive across the board.  Now on the contrary if you are in certain zip codes in south orange county often times it will be even cheaper as there may be less accidents in that zip code.

Often someone who is looking for an Auto Insurance quote in Santa Ana many will find that their rates are much cheaper then places like Newport Beach as there may be more accident in a city with a higher population density like Santa Ana.  The value of the overall vehicles in Newport Beach will be high therefor when an accident occurs the claim will be higher. 

So not only will you often see better rates in locations with lower overall car values but we have seen that for overall premiums there is many Cheap Insurance choices in Santa Ana

The post Rating Factors for auto insurance Santa Ana first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

Now here is the more important aspect of all of this. whether you want to believe it or not Obamacare as it currently stands is crumbling
under it’s own weight in most states. The acceptance of anyone, and companies not being able to underwrite for prior conditions is
leading to billions of dollars in claims. The way that insurance works in the most simplest terms is the healthy pay for the sick.
By not incentivizing enough of the healthy to be insured only the sick enroll and these companies are losing millions and in the case
of some, billions of dollars.

Leaning right or left in this situation does not matter. Whether you like the president or not does not matter. The only thing that
matters is that if something is not done the current system will fail. Believe it or not, that is your choice but numbers don’t lie
and this outcome is inevitable.

Is trumps plan the answer to the failing system? I don’t know, my personal opinion is no, but at the very least it does start a
dialog.

What do you think? It would be nice for once to have a non political conversation a real problem facing this country.

The post Will the AHCA Pass? first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

I was sitting in a meeting this week and learned that multiple companies have applied and been given the green light by the
to department of insurance to uprate all their policies. So if you are insured with Geico, State Farm, Safeco, Or Farmers
it may be time to reevaluate your policies. They are saying that these changes will be taking effect in the next 6 months
so if you are insured by one of these companies and you see your rates go up give Palmer Insurance a shot. We are often
times able to beat our competitors prices by hundreds of dollars a year. Plus we are starting our summer promotions!!!

This summer we are giving away an Ipad and all you need to do is get a quote to enter. That’s it! Get a quote and you
are entered in to the raffle. Also if you refer a client to us and they purchase a policy we will give you a $10 gas card
and a raffle ticket.

So it’s a win win. Call or click on Free quote above, realize you have been overpaying for your insurance, and enter for a
chance to win a new Ipad to tell all your friends about all the money you saved.

So just a recap, if you have GEICO, STATE FARM, SAFECO, OR FARMERS, Call today!! you prices will be going up shortly.

Have a great day!!

The post Uprates!! Uprates!! Uprates!! first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

First thing is find a competent tax professional (like us here at Palmer Income Tax) to do your taxes. Self employment taxes can get
complicated. It is very important to have someone that is familiar with the Uber and Lyft business model and know everything that
can be deducted to report it correctly. With the info in this blog you will know what can be deducted. But how to report it on your
personal taxes is a whole different monster and that is what we at Palmer are here for.

Second is to calculate your mileage correctly. This month these companies will be sending you a statement showing the income made
and the mileage drove. This mileage is going to be your largest deduction. The problem with the statement issued by Uber and Lyft
is that they only include the miles driven when there is a fair in the car. Although this information is useful you also need to
calculate how many miles where driven to and from fairs. If you have not yet downloaded a mileage tracking app for your smart
phone do that ASAP as this is the easiest way to prove to the IRS of your mileage.

Lastly, are you one of those awesome drivers that give water bottles to your fairs? gum? candy? charge there phones? All of this is
deductable so keep your receipts!

Although this is a general overview of what you can deduct a case by case analysis is still necessary to get your tax liability as
low as possible. We also walk all of our client that drive for Uber and Lyft what they can do in the future to prepare and track
all expenses so next year you will be ready to go. That is what we are experts in here at palmer. So give us a call and set up an
appointment when you are ready to file and get the highest possible refund on your returns this year.

Happy New Year!!

Michael Palmer

The post Report your Uber or Lyft income correctly first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

Stage 1: You turn on the app and get called to your first fare. Under Uber and Lyft YOU ARE NOT INSURED! There is also a huge
gap in coverage on your personal insurance. They will not cover you either. so you are effectively uninsured when you are driving
to pick up the client.

Stage 2: You pick up the fare. Once you have the individuals in your car you are covered under the rideshare app. so do not stress
when you have someone in you car

Stage 3: You drop off your fare and you head to the next. In this stage you are once again UNINSURED!! Just like in stage 1 the
rideshare app does not cover you and neither does you personal insurance.

Most insurance companies have not yet taken on the risk on filling in the gap of insurance for drivers of Uber and Lyft. The reason
for this is they see is as way to risky. The good news is that Palmer Insurance Agency is a authorized agent of Mercury insurance
who is the leader in insuring rideshare drivers. So not only do you get the coverage you need but it is also extremely reasonably
priced. So call or click for a free quote today and get properly covered when you decide to drive for Uber or Lyft.

Later this week I will write about the tax implications of driving for these companies and what Palmer can do to help lower your
tax liability at the end of the year. Have a great week!

The post Do you drive for Uber or Lyft? first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

#1 Renewals: If you are not looking to make any changes or adjustment to your plan then you are in luck! you do not need to do anything other than just continue to pay your premium and all will move forward as normal.

#2 Increase in Price: If you are enrolled in Covered California by now you should have received a letter breaking down your new monthly premium. If you feel that this price is now unaffordable please contact us and we can break down what you options are. We can at times adjust company or plan to get the price down to what you would like to pay. Also read my previous blog on the up rates for some explanation on how you may be affected.

#3 Changes: Life tends to change from year to year and these changes in income and family size need to be properly reported. These changes can lead to changes in price so it is extremely important that the information that is reported Is accurate and up to date. if not you could be over paying or get hit with a huge penalty at the end of the year.

#4 New enrollment: There have been some hiccups with the open enrollment (totally expected). so if you are looking to sign up contact us and we will me more than happy to help you navigate through the confusion and get you properly insured.

At Palmer Insurance we are always here to help with any insurance issue you may have so weather it is Covered California, Auto, Home, or commercial insurance we are always here to help. Just click or call for a FREE QUOTE today!

The post Open Enrollment Has Begun!! first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

I remember when I was 9 or 10 and our house was burglarized. I remember the door being open and my dad sending us to the neighbors
house as he went inside to inspect the damage. They made off with lots of different things but worst of all they took my moms wedding
ring. So here is what you need to know about properly insuring your valuables.

#1 Check your policy limits. Make sure that the limits on your homeowners/renters/condominium policy cover the value of all the
personal property in your home.

#2 Take pictures of everything. get a cheap memory stick and go around your house photographing all the contents. even the little
things. All of these items have value and with this proof it will make the claims process sooooo much easier. Do not store the memory
stick in your home! Give it to a trusted friend or leave in in a safe deposit box.

#3 Check the policy sub limits!! this is one of the most important things you can do. All policies have sub limits for Jewelry,
firearms, fine art, money, and electronics. Sometimes these limits can be as low as 1,000. So if you have a valuable piece of
jewelry (like Kim’s 4.5 million dollar diamond) or an arsenal of fire arms here is what you need to do to get them properly insured

Get them appraised: Take the items to a licensed appraisor and get that appraisal in writing

Get that appraisal to your agent: as soon as you get the items appraised (or an appraisal in the last 12 months)
take that info to your insurance agent so he can add what is called a “Personal Article Floater” to your policy
to properly cover the item you need insured.

So if you have any questions, want to check if you are properly covered, or would like a full evaluation of your current insurance
needs just click for a free quote and we would be happy to evaluate you situation. Have a great week.

Stay covered,

Michael

The post What you can learn from the Kim Kardashian Robbery first appeared on Palmer Insurance.

So read the article below to get some more detailed info about the warning and click for a Free quote to get a price and additional
Information on covering your property in case of “The Big one”
Heightened Earthquake Alert

The post Earthquake Warning in CA first appeared on Palmer Insurance.