Raphael & Associates

Raphael & Associates would like to wish everyone a Happy First Day of Winter. We hope that you enjoy the colder temperatures and the upcoming winter holidays. #raphaelandassociates #winter2024 #happywinter 

With the Holidays upon us, we understand that millions of Americans intend to take to the road for the holiday weekend this year. Raphael & Associates urge you to drive safely as you travel to your desired destination. If you plan on driving, you can try to reduce sitting in traffic by avoiding travel during peak traffic times, even trying to travel before and after the Holiday weekend. #raphaelandassociates #holidayweekend #travel #traffic #homefortheholidays

As 2024 quickly draws to a close, Raphael & Associates would like to pause for a moment to wish all our clients and colleagues a safe and Happy Holiday season. #happyholidays2024 #seasonsgreetings

With a team of adjusters and examiners averaging over 25 years of experience in the industry, Raphael & Associates has the flexibility and expertise to manage any type of claim. Contact us today for more information on our entire portfolio of services. #claimsmanagement #raphaelandassociates #ra #claims #tpa #ia #team #experience

Happy Friday from the team at Raphael & Associates! Here is another Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact for you to enjoy. For the remainder of the month of December, we’re going to focus our Raphael Random Friday Fun Facts on various Holiday traditions. This week, we’re going to delve into one traditional Holiday dessert that isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite- fruitcake! While many enjoy apple and pumpkin pie as their Thanksgiving dessert, there are also certain desserts associated with Christmas. Treats such as gingerbread, sugar cookies and peppermint are all prevalent during the Christmas season. Even though more than 2 million fruitcakes are sold each Holiday season, it isn’t the most popular dessert served after Christmas dinner. In fact, many people do not like fruitcake at all. In some families, a relative will bring a fruitcake to Christmas dinner as more of a gag than an actual dessert option. The origins of fruitcake go as far back as the Middle Ages, when dried fruits became more widely available. Due to the high cost of ingredients at the time, fruitcakes were only made for special occasions, such as weddings and holidays, particularly in Victorian England. It is believed that America’s partaking of fruitcakes on Christmas was inspired by the British. But while fruitcakes are still beloved in many European countries, in America, a slice of fruit cake is the last thing anyone wants on their plate. Fruitcake aversion is woven into the very fabric of our country. The cake was said to have been initially baked in 1794 as a Christmas gift for George Washington. Washington sent the offending cake back with a note that said it was, “unseemly for Presidents to accept gifts weighing more than 80 pounds, even though they were only eight inches in diameter.” Our disgust for this cake often makes it the butt of jokes. Of this dense fruit studded cake, Johnny Carson once said, “There is only one fruitcake in the entire world and people keep passing it around.” Hating fruitcake seems so expected that it’s become a part of our cultural collective identities. But if we hate it so much, then why does it continue to be purchased and gifted? Some believe that the distaste for fruitcake was a result of changing taste preferences. For much of the 20th century, the American food palette was centered around sugar, fat, and salt. Lighter, very sweet cakes became the dominant dessert, and those are the antithesis of fruitcake. Fruitcake is just a taste that fell out of habit and became a dessert associated with the old and out of touch. As a result, ended up a punchline for jokes around Christmas time. So, when you’re shopping for you Christmas dinner, we dare you to pick up a fruitcake and give it a try. Who knows, you may enjoy it. We hope that you enjoyed this week’s Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact. Have a great weekend!

The Mediation Team at Raphael & Associates have been handling claims mediation for more than 46 years. They have an unparalleled track record in finding successful resolutions in a timely fashion that are mutually satisfactory for both parties. Reach out to Raphael & Associates today if you would like to discuss our Claims Mediation services with one of our team members. #raphaelandassociates #claimsmediation #mediation #46years #successfulresolutions

Today, Raphael & Associates honors the brave Americans that lost their lives on December 7, 1941, as we commemorate National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. #pearlharbor #honor #remembranceday2024

Happy Friday from the team at Raphael & Associates! Here is another Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact for you to enjoy. This week we’re going to give you a few fun facts about the last month of the year- December! December is one of the most festivity-filled months, marked by family traditions and holiday celebrations. While December is famously the 12th month of the year on our modern Gregorian calendar, that hasn’t always been the case. December marked the 10th month of the Roman calendar, which used to begin in March. The name December translates from the Latin ‘Decem,’ meaning ‘ten.’ Of course, you can’t mention December without speaking about the Holiday Season. While Christmas is the most well-known and celebrated holiday this month, Hannukah (most years) and Kwanzaa are both celebrated in December as well. December is also known for more than just Holidays as some monumental events happened in December. First, on December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights became law. Also, one of the most popular sports in the U.S. was born in December. The game of basketball was created in 1891 when a Canadian sports instructor sought ways to entertain restless college students after their football season had ended. It was too cold to practice outside, so an indoor game was created using two peach baskets. Finally, one of the saddest and most infamous days in our country’s history occurred on December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked, killing 2,403 Americans. Each year on December 7, we honor the fallen Americans on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. As you can see, December is one of the busiest months on the calendar and ends the year with a bang. Perhaps you’ll remember a few of these fun facts as you gather around your Holiday tables this year. We hope that you enjoyed this week’s Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact. Have a great weekend! #raphaelandassociates #fridayfunfact #happyfriday #rrfff #december #christmas #hannukah #kwanzaa #winter

We’re #hiring. Know anyone who might be interested?

Happy Friday from the team at Raphael & Associates! Here is another Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact for you to enjoy. This week we’re going to dive into the day we know as Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States. This year, Black Friday is unusually late in the month, so the holiday shopping season will be a bit shorter than normal. There is only one Black Friday during the year, but Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Thanksgiving Weekend, and Cyber Monday are often referred to in the retail industry as "The Turkey 5," so you've got access to at least five days of massive sales going on. In 2023, a staggering $9.8 billion was spent online in a single day, with the average shopper shelling out $313. With sales projected to reach $10 billion in 2024 and soar to $12.3 billion by 2028. So happy shopping, everyone. We hope that you enjoyed this week’s Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact. Have a great weekend!