by onlinefinancialnewsletters | Aug 13, 2018 | Personal Protection
It’s easy to worry about your home when you’re away on a vacation or a business trip. Did you lock all the doors? Did you leave the stove on? Does it look obvious that the house is empty? These are all legitimate worries when you’re spending time away from your humble abode. Fret not, however, as here we have compiled some ways of securing and protecting your home while you are away on business or pleasure!
Basic measures
First things first, you should start with the basics. For example, put your interior lights on timers if you want your home to appear to be occupied while you are away. Next, you should ensure that your mail and newspaper deliveries are delayed so that mail isn’t piling up on your porch or in your letterbox. Also, make sure to set your thermostat appropriately and ensure that most of your appliances are unplugged or switched off entirely. Don’t forget to set your house alarm!
Water damage and appliance damage
If you want to save energy, turn down your water heater’s temperature and switch off your hot water recirculation pump. You can also suspend your internet with many ISPs, temporarily halting your internet service. It’s also a great idea to unplug appliances which aren’t necessary while you’re away (i.e. don’t unplug the fridge) or plug them into surge protectors and then turn them off.
If you have any leaky faucets or other similar problems, you aren’t going to be around to keep an eye on them. As a result, you should look to get these issues fixed before departure. Also, it may be a good idea to shut off your home’s main water supply while away. Shutting off individual appliance valves and clearing your gutters are also good measures to take.
Preventing burglaries
Although having the appropriate insurance will certainly help to ease your mind, there are ways to prevent burglaries from ever happening in the first place. First of all, secure your windows and doors, even if they are on the higher levels of your house. Burglars are not incapable of accessing your property via trees or ladders. Next, make sure that you use a reliable home alarm system which covers the appropriate areas of your home. Then, make sure that any high-value items such as jewelry or high-end appliances are secured, out of sight, and hidden. You should also consider installing motion-activated lights outside your home.
Never leave a spare key under a doormat or in a similar place – you’re just asking for trouble. If absolutely necessary, install a high-end key lockbox or give a spare key to a trusted friend/family member for emergencies.
Ask people to conduct minor maintenance
It’s worth asking a trusted friend or family member to keep an eye on your house while you’re away, perhaps even allowing them to stay there and housesit while you’re away. Making your home look occupied (or actually having it occupied) is one of the easiest ways to prevent a break-in. Just be sure to arm the helper with any information they may need for their stay in your home. For example, tell them where your shut-off valves and circuit breakers are located, and provide them with the codes to your alarm system too.
Think before you Tweet
Although we all like to make our friends jealous on Facebook and Twitter when we’re jetting off around the world and doing exciting things, it could also leave us vulnerable if done in real-time. During WWII, the British government used to put up posters reading “Careless talk costs lives”, meaning that you shouldn’t say confidential things in public, as you never know who’s listening. The same applies here with social media too! Even if you have your settings set to “private” and “share with friends only”, it only takes one suspicious Facebook friend or Twitter follower to spill the beans that you’re away from home to a potential burglar. Posting that you’re on vacation may seem harmless and fun, but you could essentially be nailing an “I’m not here!” sign to your front door.
Many people worry about keeping their home out of harm’s way when they’re on a trip, but we have information and resources to help calm your mind. Contact us to find out how we can help!
by onlinefinancialnewsletters | Jun 12, 2018 | Personal Protection
A big part of owning your own home, or even renting a property, is protecting it and your personal belongings inside. If you’re concerned about home protection, then here are six of the best tips that you need to keep your home and belongings safe from harm:
- Change Your Approach
The only way to achieve comprehensive protection is to consider just where your home is the most vulnerable. Instead of going into home protection blind, you need to create a tailored plan that pinpoints the exact liabilities of your property.
Go around your home, look for weaknesses, and take note of where others might be able to see into your home. Then assess your doors, check their strength, and think about how you would break in if you were in the shoes of an intruder.
- Think About Security
Doors and windows should be secure, which means that new locks, stronger frames, and better hingers, may be an investment that you need to make. Double check to make sure there are no cracks around your doors or windows, invest in a security door or high-impact glass, and always lock-up when you’re leaving the house.
- Hide Your Keys
If you’re constantly losing your keys, having a spare outside may seem like a good idea. However, it’s one of the easiest ways for someone to break into your home.
Try a different approach and opt for a keyless door, or even leave a key with a trusted friend, instead of outdoors.
- Protect Your Wiring
Wiring is a major vulnerability in the home, and the weak spot of a security system. Make sure all wiring is fully hidden and properly covered.
- Change Your Garden
Anywhere outside that restricts your view from the property can be detrimental to property protection, but so can landscaping that puts your home on full view from the street. Consider a garden makeover and take care of blind spots in your landscaping.
- Insure Your Home and Belongings!
Prevention methods to stop burglaries are vital, but so is protection if the worst happens and your belongings or property are damaged. Getting adequate home insurance is a must to avoid the financial stress and upheaval of having to pay out for expensive repairs and replace belongings in your home.
Talk to us today for information about comprehensive home insurance and plans that are tailored to your needs. For a peace of mind over home protection and the best insurance, don’t delay in giving us a call.
by onlinefinancialnewsletters | Jun 6, 2018 | Personal Protection
Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions that you’ll make in your life. Not only does it free you from the restraints of having to pay rent, but it’s a valuable long-term investment that makes sense in more than one way when it comes to finances.
One of the biggest things that first-time home buyers have to face, is how to save vital funds when they are trying to purchase a property. This puts home insurance near the top of the priority list, not just because it can protect your belongings and property, but because it’s a key area to start saving money.
First-Time Home Insurance Policies – The Costs
You can expect insurance rates to cost you around an average of $952 a year, according to the statistics from Value Penguin. While this is the average, prices can fluctuate quite severely. There are a number of key factors that can influence home insurance cost, including:
- Non-payment that resulted in insurance cancellation
- High-risk properties, use of specialist materials in construction, high-claim area, or special feature properties
- No insurance history or sparse insurance history
- Paying separately for different insurances instead of using bundles
- Making insurance claims
Many homeowners get the benefit of discounts on their home insurance, but this often isn’t the case for first-time buyers. Due to this, it’s important to make sure that you thoroughly investigate all the options open to you and take advantage of all money-saving opportunities.
Top Tips for Saving Money on Home Insurance
Just a few simple tips and tricks may lead to some substantial savings on both the purchase of your first home and your home insurance. Here are our top five ways to make savings:
1.) Plan Ahead
Leaving home insurance as the last item on your to-do list means limiting your options for a good home insurance policy. It will pay in the long-run to research early, know your options, and find the right insurance for your needs. Always bear in mind:
- Your home insurance will be in relation to your dwelling value not your real estate value.
- Never feel pressured into making a decision without knowing what you’re covered for.
- Get complete coverage for the important things.
- Plan for potential increases in other insurance areas.
2.) Think About Insurance History
Your insurance history is incredibly important when getting house insurance – the better established your history is, the better discounts you’ll have access to. If you don’t have an established insurance history, then try building a good history by getting renters insurance or even contacting your parent’s insurance and seeing if you can be recognized by them.
3.) Know When Costs Change
Your home insurance will likely not be the same as the insurance that the current owners of the property pay. Personal information is needed to create an insurance plan, so be prepared to pay something different!
4.) Get That Home Inspection
A home inspection may be a big cost, but it could save you so much more in the long-run. Spotting major problems with a property now, could prevent serious financial disasters in the future. You might also get some top tips from your inspector about bringing down insurance costs.
5.) Double-Up and Get Mortgage Insurance
Not all insurance bundles are good, but it doesn’t mean that they are all bad either. Consider mortgage insurance alongside your home insurance, as the price may be substantially cheaper than if you went to a mortgage lender.
Need advice on home insurance, or want to get a head start with renter’s insurance? Give us a call today and we’ll make sure that all your insurance questions are answered!
by onlinefinancialnewsletters | Mar 29, 2018 | Personal Protection
We love our dogs… the wagging tails… the kisses. And yet dog ownership has challenges. Dogs bite more than 4.5 million people each year. Of those, nearly 900,000 are severe enough to require medical intervention.
In addition, dog bites are costly. The typical cost per canine attack case settled through insurance is over $28,000. It’s a big number. It’s also why home insurance rates go up when you get a new dog…
Thankfully, there are actions you can take to decrease the chances of your dog biting or attacking someone.
First, choose your dog carefully. There are varying viewpoints on whether dogs of certain types are much more hazardous than others are or if home atmosphere has more to do with a pet’s nature. Speak with your veterinarian regarding prospective behavior and also wellness problems connected with details breeds.
Also, talk to our team about potential dog breeds that may be excluded from being protected your insurance coverage representative regarding breeds omitted from protection under your house owner’s insurance plan.
Next, introduce your family pet to your pet early. Well-socialized puppies are more likely to become grown-up pets who feel comfortable around people and other animals. It’s also good to keep exposing your dog to new situations…
Also be sure you you keep your child is older because nearly 50% of all severe dog bites involve youngsters. A good age is at least 4 years old. Kids of this age are better able to understand how to behave around your dog. And NEVER leave your baby or young child alone with a dog, no matter how much you trust the dog.
Finally, be sure to take care of your dog’s health. From spaying or neutering to controlling parasites… your dog’s health impacts their attitude. Be sure your dog also is seen by a vet regularly an is properly vaccinated.
Whether you already own a pet dog or are considering bringing a pooch into your home, give us a call to assess your insurance coverage responsibility coverage for bites and various other pet-related injuries. We’re here to help!
by onlinefinancialnewsletters | Mar 21, 2018 | Personal Protection
Have an apartment or a house? You naturally need home insurance. The challenge is most people get home insurance and then ignore it.
The thing is, as time goes by your living situation changes. You may acquire more things like jewelry or art. You may make improvements to your home. You might have added a home theater.
In any case, you need your insurance to keep pace with your personal situation and to ensure your property and things are sufficiently protected.
There’s no magic time to think about home insurance policy … so have a look at these tips on the best ways to get the most value in your home owners plan.
Manage Your Credit
Credit scores impact insurance costs in many situations. The better your credit, the lower your insurance costs. Maintaining a strong credit rating is in your favor.
Allow Us to Search For The Best Home Insurance Deals For You
As an independent insurance agency we offer insurance from a variety of carriers … one phone call to our team is all that’s required to have us spring into action and shop for fantastic rates among numerous insurance providers. We’ll save you time & stress in the process.
Examine Your Deductible
Talk with us about your insurance deductible. The key is to make certain your deductible is something you could manage to pay in case of a serious issue. For a claim on a residence, one general rule is to have the deductible be high enough that you don’t leverage your insurance for “simply anything” that fails with your house. Home insurance really should be reserved for urgent scenarios. The higher the deductible the more you can save … some premiums can be cut by up to 30 percent.
Look into Discounts
If you have two or even more insurance policies (car/ residence for example) with the same service provider, you could save up to 15% off the plans. Certainly give us a call to explore your options …
Ensure You Aren’t Over-Insured
Some people believe getting even more insurance than they need will give them some type of benefit. It will not. You need an adequate amount of protection to cover the cost of replacing your residence and also its valuables. As an example, if your home is of moderate construction, you won’t insure it to replace with luxury materials. Likewise, you also need to protect yourself from being under-insured as well. The key here is to have an candid conversation with our insurance team so that we could make certain you have the RIGHT insurance.
One Last Suggestion
Many carriers offer additional discounts when you have been with them at the very least 3 to 5 years … so keep that in mind as you examine your property owners policy. As always, remember we’re here to help you, so call us today to earn certain you are obtaining the greatest worth from your insurance.
by onlinefinancialnewsletters | Feb 22, 2018 | Personal Protection
Important Information
Most people will not argue the need to have car insurance for their cars because they know that how important auto insurance is to cover difficult situations such as theft, natural disasters, and accidents.
However, what most car-owners don’t know is how to avoid certain car insurance challenges. Some of the the most common mistakes range from paying too much, not having adequate coverage for your insurance needs, or signing up for redundant policies.
Here are some other challenges…
Not fully understanding the coverage you’ve purchased
Do not be deceived by the term “full coverage”. You might not be as covered as you think you are. Never make assumptions about the coverage you have or don’t have. Always get clarity on your insurance contract. Your agent should be happy to help you understand. And if they leave you with more questions than answers, we’re here to help!
Not asking about discounts
There are numerous discounts you may be entitled to have, such as price reductions, discounts for seniors, students, safe drivers, and lots more. Also, you could save on your premiums based on how your vehicle is equipped. Never fear of asking your insurance agent for discounts. They add up!
Neglecting to compare rates
While shopping for insurance isn’t really fun, getting multiple quotes is beneficial… comparing rates benefits your wallet and gives you peace of mind. The good news is that as an independent agency we compare rates between multiple carriers to find the best policies for our clients!
Purchasing only the state-required minimum
Purchasing state minimums for your insurance may keep your insurance premiums low. However, it will always cost you more if and when you need to make a claim. It is advisable to pay a little bit extra just for that peace of mind. That way you will be ready for anything that comes your way with complete coverage.
Avoiding these car insurance mistakes is easy and we’ll gladly help. If you have questions about car insurance, please reach out to us!
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