Raphael & Associates

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 October, we’re going to focus our Raphael Random Friday Fun Facts on everyone’s favorite spooky day- Halloween! According to a national survey, 50% of Americans will eat Halloween candy this year, and 45% will buy candy specifically for trick-or-treaters. As usual, tastes vary widely, from people who love chocolate to others who prefer sweet and sour candy. But what is the most popular candy given to trick-or-treaters on Halloween? That would be the delicious combination of chocolate and peanut butter- The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup! According to the national survey referenced above, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were the most popular Halloween candy in 40 states, giving it a landslide victory in the Halloween candy popularity contest. The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup was created in 1928, by H. B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton S. Hershey. Reese was let go from his job with Hershey when the Round Barn which he managed was shut down for cost-saving measures. He subsequently decided to start his own candy business, the H. B. Reese Candy Company. Even though he was let go from Hershey’s, Reese used Hershey’s chocolate in the creation and production of the Peanut Butter Cup. The Peanut Butter Cup was one of many candies produced by the company but became so popular that all other candies were discontinued to focus on production of the Peanut Butter Cup. In 1963, the H. B. Reese Candy Company merged with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation in a tax-free stock-for-stock merger. In 1969, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups became the Hershey Company's top seller. Today, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups come in a variety of different flavors, from caramel peanut butter cups to white chocolate varieties. In addition, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup also comes in a wide array of styles and sizes, including a half-pound version available for Holiday gifting. The Peanut Butter Cup also accounts for more than $3.1 billion in annual sales. We hope that you enjoyed this week’s Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact. Have a great weekend! #raphaelandassociates #happyfriday #fridayfunfact #rrfff #reesespeanutbuttercup #halloween #trickortreat #candy #hersheys

Raphael & Associates has been the premier claims services provider to the program market since 1978. We specialize in managing claims for a wide variety of insurance programs, collaborating with some of the most recognizable companies in the industry. Our dedicated program team is comprised of our most experienced and credentialed claims professionals, each averaging more than 20 years of experience in the program market. Our team provides our clients with exceptional claims handling, white-glove service and the highest level of communication throughout the process. As your business partner, we provide extensive data analytics, input on policy language, and other best practices that help you profitably grow your program. #raphaelandassociates #programmarket #programmanagement #dedicatedteam #programs #whiteglove #exceptionalservice

The team at Raphael & Associates would like to thank all attendees for another successful Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA) Annual Meeting. We'll see you in Dallas in May for the 2025 Mid-Year meeting.

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 October, we’re going to focus our Raphael Random Friday Fun Facts on everyone’s favorite spooky day- Halloween! Halloween can be traced back to around 4000 B.C. in Ireland. The holiday has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival of “Samhain” – the celebration of the end of harvest season. Back then, the Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead got a little blurry and the dead would come back to life and wreak havoc among the living. The Gaels would attempt to scare away the dead by wearing costumes and masks. Halloween is the second most commercial holiday in the US, with Christmas being the first. Americans spend about $6.9 billion on Halloween – with more than $2 billion spent on Halloween candy. How much candy does $2 billion buy? Roughly 600 million pounds – which is the equivalent of about 6 Titanic ships. On average, Americans consume 3.4 pounds of Halloween candy each. If the thought of Halloween scares you, you might suffer from Samhainophobia – the fear of Halloween. We hope that you enjoyed this week’s Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact. Have a great weekend! #raphaelandassociates #happyfriday #fridayfunfact #rrfff #happyhalloween #halloween #candy #october

The Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA) Annual Summit begins next week and the team from Raphael & Associates are ready to make this the best one yet! Justin Raphael, Christopher A. Ohmacht, CFA and Paul Lincoln will be on hand and can't wait to meet with all attendees. #raphaelandassociates #tmpaa #scottsdale #arizona #annualsummit #conference

Raphael & Associates wishes a Blessed Yom Kippur to all our friends and colleagues who celebrate. May this Holy Day be a time of deep reflection, hope and renewal. #yomkippur #dayofatonement #raphaelandassociates

The team at Raphael & Associates would like to send our thoughts and well wishes to those in Hurricane Milton's path. Our Field Adjusting team in the region is hard at work making preparations to ensure we are ready to promptly assist our clients and insureds as needed. #raphaelandassociates #fieldadjusting #hurricanepreparedness #hurricaneseason #milton

The Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA) Annual Summit begins in just under two weeks and the team from Raphael & Associates are ready to make this the best Annual Marketplace yet! Justin Raphael, Christopher A. Ohmacht, CFA and Paul Lincoln will be on hand and can't wait to meet with all attendees. #raphaelandassociates #tmpaa #scottsdale #arizona #annualsummit #conference

Hurricane Milton continues to get stronger as it slowly moves across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida's coast, where it's expected to become a major hurricane before making landfall later this week. The team at Raphael & Associates would like to send our thoughts and well wishes to those in the storm's path. Our Field Adjusting team in the region is hard at work making preparations to ensure we are ready to promptly assist our clients and insureds as needed. #raphaelandassociates #fieldadjusting #hurricanepreparedness #hurricaneseason #hurricanemilton

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 month that lets you know the Holidays are right around the corner and the current year is rapidly coming to an end- October! Unlike our modern 12-month Gregorian calendar, the Romans had a lunar calendar with only ten months each year. While October is the tenth month in our calendar, it was the 8th month to appear on Roman calendars. This is where October gets its name, which translates as ‘the eighth month’ in Latin. Many historical events happened in the month of October. The Statue of Liberty was formally dedicated on October 28th, 1886, by President Grover Cleveland. President Calvin Coolidge declared the Statue of Liberty a national monument on October 15th, 1924. In October 1945, world leaders created the United Nations. They aimed to promote peace and stop future conflicts after the destruction caused by World War II. October also represents the most exciting month on the Major League Baseball schedule as this is when the playoffs begin, culminating in the two best teams playing in the World Series. In fact, the first World Series was played in October 1903. Of course, October is most famous for Halloween. The entire month of October is normally dedicated to preparing for Halloween- by decorating, watching scary movies or participating in various other Halloween-related activities. We hope that you enjoyed this week’s Raphael Random Friday Fun Fact. Have a great weekend! #raphaelandassociates #happyfriday #fridayfunfact #rrfff #october #halloween #worldseries #unitednations #statueofliberty