Personal Perspective

If winter temperatures plummet in your neck of the woods, prep your car now. Several procedures protect your vehicle and help it run properly all winter.

Check the tire tread. In most states, it must be at least 2/32-inches, which you can measure by placing a penny in the tire – adequate tread will cover part of Lincoln’s head. However, because your vehicle’s ability to stop on slippery surfaces decreases when the tread reaches 4/32″, consider replacing worn tires with all-weather tires for better traction.

Change the windshield wipers. These two pieces of equipment clear snow, ice and debris from your windshield. To work properly, they must be free from rips and wear.

Charge the battery. With full juice, your battery’s ready to start no matter how low the temperature falls. Clean the terminals and double check that the battery’s secure, too.

Fill the fluids. Antifreeze, windshield washer, transmission and brake fluid assist your vehicle in running smoothly. Fill these fluids to the recommended level as you prep your vehicle for winter.

Keep your vehicle fueled at all times. You never know when you’ll become stuck in traffic or a snow drift, and you’ll be thankful for a full gas tank in those situations.

Stock an emergency kit. A few supplies assist you in flagging help and staying safe in almost any weather. They include:

• A small shovel
• Traction material like kitty litter or sand
• Flares
• Fire extinguisher
• Blanket
• Charged cellphone
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Water and non-perishable food like energy bars or nuts
• Small amount of cash for fuel or other emergencies

Update your auto insurance. From fender benders to hail damage, adequate insurance gives you peace of mind and ensures you have financial resources to fix your vehicle.

Don’t let winter weather keep you at home. Follow these tips and prepare your vehicle now.

With the upcoming holidays, your house is going to be filled with guests. Is your pantry filled and your bathroom clean? Even more importantly, update your home insurance policy as you prepare to welcome guests to your home for the holidays.

What Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover?

Most homeowners buy insurance to cover property damages from storms or accidents. It also covers personal property that’s lost, damaged or stolen. Plus, homeowner’s insurance pays for medical treatment or lawsuits associated with injuries people sustain while visiting you.

Make Sure you Have Enough Liability Coverage

You don’t expect accidents to happen in your house, but a visitor could trip over frayed carpet, get food poisoning or fall off the backyard trampoline. Or maybe the traditional Thanksgiving day football game gets rough, and your cousin’s expensive watch breaks, a seasonal storm blows a branch on your friend’s vehicle or the toilet overflows on your uncle’s expensive leather shoes. These injuries and damages are all examples of accidents that liability insurance covers.

Increase Your Coverage Limit

To ensure you have enough liability coverage, check out your policy and talk to your insurance agent. Most policies include a liability coverage limit of $100,000, but you should consider increasing that limit to $300,000 or even $500,000. An accident that affects more than one guest could quickly use up that coverage and leave you with a big bill. The increased coverage limit ensures everyone can receive medical treatment, and it reduces your out-of-pocket expenses if you’re sued.

Buy an Umbrella Policy

An umbrella policy is another insurance product to consider. It adds additional coverage that could be very beneficial as you entertain guests this holiday season.

Because you plan to host holiday guests this year, do more than stock the pantry and clean the bathroom. Update your homeowner’s insurance policy. It gives you peace of mind and prepares you for anything that might happen.

Do you know the most common residential insurance claims? Learn what they are so that you can prepare your home this fall. That way, you’ll prevent expensive repairs and possible insurance rate spikes before winter weather strikes.

1. Water Damage

From a leaking roof to cracked pipes, water damage can ruin your home and possessions. Inspect the roof and make any repairs before heavy snow and ice arrive. Clean and repair rain gutters, too, to ensure water runs off into the street instead of saturating the ground around your basement.

2. Fire Damage

Unexpected cooking or heating source fires can quickly level a home. While you’ll want to test your indoor smoke detector batteries and practice the escape plan, replace furnace filters and clean the chimney, too. Then, inspect the exterior of the chimney to remove bird nests and ensure it is in safe working order.

3. Storm and Wind Damage

Snow, ice and wind storms damage fences and roofs. Take time now to trim trees and remove dead or low-hanging branches that could do the most damage around your property. Nail loose siding into place and secure patio furniture, bicycles and other loose items inside the shed to prevent them from flying away or being damaged.

4. Visitor Accidents

Uneven sidewalk, loose railings and worn deck stairs could cause your winter visitors to slip and fall. Fix these problems now. Also, stock ice melt and a sturdy shovel so that you can remove ice and snow as soon as bad weather starts and before anyone suffers an injury.

5. Animal Bites

Prevent your dog from biting or attacking anyone when you repair the fence so that it can’t escape the yard. Ensure the lock is tight as well. When visitors come into your yard, tie your dog securely to a post with a sturdy leash.

These five common insurance claims could affect you, but preventative measures go a long way toward protecting your family, home and visitors this winter. While you’re at it, ensure your home insurance policy is up to date. Add liability coverage or an umbrella policy if necessary when you talk to your agent today.

Valued at $46.2 million, the Graff Pink diamond is one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry in the world. Your jewelry box might not hold anything that priceless, but you certainly want to insure your valuable or sentimental pieces, including the diamond cufflinks you wore at your wedding or your grandmother’s ruby brooch. November is Real Jewelry Month and the perfect time to make sure your necklaces, bracelets, rings and other real jewelry are insured.

1. Hire an Independent Appraiser

An independent appraiser will carefully and thoroughly inspect each piece of jewelry you own, and he or she will then determine the exact value of your works of art. Be sure to obtain a signed document that includes a detailed description and appraiser’s value for each piece.

2. Check Your Current Insurance Policy

Most homeowner or renter insurance policies include cash value or replacement coverage for personal belongings. As long as that figure is high enough to cover everything you own, including your real jewelry, you’re set.

3. Purchase a Rider

If your current policy does not cover your valuable gems, purchase a rider. It offers additional coverage for your precious collection.

4. Take Pictures of all Your Pieces

The police need detailed descriptions of your jewelry if a piece is lost or stolen. Take detailed pictures of each piece to increase the likelihood of recovery.

5. Update Your Inventory Regularly

Once you’re sure your jewelry is adequately insured, mark your calendar for an annual inventory review. Add new pieces you recently purchased and remove pieces you sold or gave away to ensure your collection is completely covered.

6. Inspect Your Jewelry

As part of your annual review; take your jewelry for an inspection. The jeweler will look for loose settings, chips or scratches. Take new pictures after any needed repairs are made.

7. Store Your Jewelry in a Safe Place

Insurance will replace your real jewelry if it’s lost, stolen or damaged, but don’t take chances. A fireproof safe hidden in your home or a safety deposit box at the bank protects your gems, especially if you own expensive pieces that you wear only on rare occasions.

You do not want to file a claim for stolen jewelry and find out it wasn’t insured. Follow these tips and talk to your insurance agent today as you protect your valuable collection and celebrate Real Jewelry Month.

Roughly 374,000 fires occur in homes across the U.S. each year. Protect your home and family from being a statistic when you create a fire emergency plan. It helps you stay safe as you recognize Child Safety Protection Month this November.

1. Discuss Fire Safety Tips

Obviously, you want to extinguish candles, cigarettes and other open flames immediately. You also need to supervise meal prep in the kitchen to ensure nothing catches on fire. However, did you know that fabric can be flammable when it lies near the heater? Teach your family to prevent these and other fire hazards.

2. Hang Smoke Detectors

To ensure everyone can safely escape a fire, place smoke detectors on every floor of your home where you can hear them day and night. Since smoke rises, place them on the ceiling or high on the walls.

3. Locate Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers need to be accessible. Place one in the kitchen under the sink or in the pantry. Other smart locations include near the entrance and exit doors and at least one on each floor. Once they’re securely attached to the wall, ensure your adult and teen family members know how to use them.

4. Choose the Exits

Your home’s layout determines where you can safely exit. In each room, choose two door or window exits that assist your family in safely escaping a house fire. If you have a second story, store an escape ladder near the window, and make sure you know how to use it properly.

5. Designate an Outdoor Meeting Spot

Whether your family meets at a neighbor’s house or a tree across the street, designate an outdoor base camp. Call 911 from this spot after everyone safely escapes the fire.

6. Practice the Plan

Even the best fire emergency plan will be ineffective if your family members don’t know what to do when a fire starts. Test the fire alarms and teach your kids what they sound like. Then, practice escaping out of the nearest exit and meeting at your designated spot.

Your family’s fire emergency plan can keep you safe as you recognize Child Safety Protection Month. Additionally, talk to your insurance agent and ensure you have adequate home insurance for your house and possessions. Insurance won’t prevent fires, but it will give you peace of mind this month and year round.

The windows in your home allow bright sunlight to stream into your house, and they create a warm and cozy indoor atmosphere. Unfortunately, those same windows can provide access to home invaders. Apply unique and versatile window tints that protect your home and family and offer additional benefits you’ll appreciate.

Prevent Home Invasions

Burglars usually case homes before they break in through the path of least resistance. Tinted film prevents anyone from looking into your house and seeing your valuables. Clear and colored tints also reinforce the glass as they discourage home invaders.

Reduce Cooling Costs

You and your pets bask in rays of warm sunlight, but all that sunshine increases the interior temperature and forces your home’s cooling system to work overtime. Save as much as 30 percent on your annual cooling costs when you apply sun-filtering window tints.

Protect Fabric from Fading

Before the valuable furniture, carpets and window treatments in front of your windows fade, apply window tint. It blocks as much as 99 percent of all the damaging UV rays and protects the fabrics in your home.

Prevent Severe Weather Damage

Hail, winds and other severe weather can break your windows and send flying glass throughout your home. Apply safety tint that reinforces your windows and protects your home and family.

Reduce Glare

As you work in your home office or watch TV with your family, annoying sun glare can interrupt your day. Apply tint to the windows and reduce disruptive glare.

Maintain Privacy

While allowing sunshine in, window tints prevent curious neighbors and passersby’s from looking into your home, and they maintain your privacy.

Decorate Your Home

Available in dozens of decorative patterns, window tints add beauty to your windows. Use them to decorate all the glass in your home.

Whether you drive a vehicle that’s hot off the assembly line or one that’s old enough to be an antique, you want your car to last a long time. A fall tune-up helps you achieve your goal. It also maximizes fuel efficiency, prevents expensive repairs and ensures your vehicle runs properly all winter.

Read the Owner’s Manual

In the back of your vehicle’s owner’s manual, you’ll find a tune-up checklist. Follow it carefully as you ensure you repair and inspect all the essential areas of your vehicle this fall.

Fix the Brakes

Your mechanic should inspect the brakes for wear and ensure the brake lights on your vehicle work properly.

Change the Oil

Your vehicle’s engine requires engine oil as it operates smoothly. Top off the oil this fall or invest in a complete oil change, especially if you’ve driven 15,000 miles since your last oil change.

Check the Battery

Wipe off the terminals and make sure the battery is attached correctly. If it’s older than four years, replace it so that you’re not left stranded.

Inspect Hoses

Soft, leaky or loose hoses seem like a small detail, but they’re important for proper engine performance. Inspect all your engine’s hoses to ensure they’re attached properly and replace any that aren’t in good working order.

Top Off Fluids

Low transmission fluid and coolant affect your vehicle’s performance and could damage the engine. Top off these fluids this fall. You’ll also want to fill your windshield washer fluid and the antifreeze reservoir.

Inflate the Tires

You’ll experience a smoother ride and enjoy increased traction when you inflate the tires to the proper level. Find the recommended tire pressure on your vehicle’s door sticker.

Update Insurance

Now that your car is tuned up, update your auto insurance, too. Make sure you have adequate coverage to handle any repairs or liability that may occur during a winter storm or after an accident. With these tune-up tips, you prolong the life of your vehicle this winter and into next year.

October, Adopt a Shelter Dog month, is a great time to add a dog to your family. Be careful which breed you adopt, though. Insurance companies use data from insurance claims and public health studies to create a high risk dog breed list, and your homeowners insurance premiums can increase based on the type of dog you adopt. You can save money when you choose a dog that’s not on the high risk list.

Working Breed Dogs

Agile, powerful and intelligent, Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers and Siberian Huskies are also fiercely protective. If they’re not trained properly, these breeds could be potentially dangerous, especially to young children and small pets.

Terrier Breeds

Loyal and protective, American Pitbull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers have been bred to hunt. These traits mean they can become aggressive and tenacious if they’re cornered or frightened by one of your family members or guests.

German Shepherds

Police departments, military personnel and ranch hands appreciate this breed because the dogs are intelligent, hard-working and powerful. They’re also suspicious of strangers and won’t back down, which makes them a challenging breed for inexperienced owners to handle.

Chow Chows

Independent and strong Chow Chows are often kept as companions. These fluffy dogs can be aloof and stubborn, though, and should only be adopted by experienced dog owners.

Miscellaneous Breeds

Wolf Hybrid and Presa Canarios dogs exhibit strength and protective characteristics. However, they can also be unpredictable and quick to attack, making them potentially dangerous breeds. Friendly and docile Great Danes are listed on the high risk list, too, because of their size.

A dog adds fun and companionship to your home and family, and adopting a shelter dog is socially responsible. Before you choose a new pet, though, consider whether or not it will increase your homeowners insurance cost. If so, you may choose a different breed or reduce your home insurance premiums by installing a dog fence or raising your deductible.

Whether you’re celebrating Computer Learning Month in October or using your electronic devices for socializing, working or gaming, you want to protect your valuables from theft. Follow six tips as you protect your electronics at home, in your vehicle or at a public location like the library or coffee shop.

1. Invest in LoJack

While LoJack is known for automotive theft protection, it also protects your electronic devices. Use its software to track your devices, lock them and even remotely delete data.

2. Use a Kensington Lock

Leave your laptop sitting on the table while you check out books, use the bathroom or refill your coffee, and it will probably be stolen. Take precautions and carry your laptop with you or use a small but powerful Kensington lock to secure your laptop to your office, library or dorm desk.

3. Hide Your Devices

From carrying your computer to class in a nondescript bag to placing your GPS in the trunk after you park your car on campus, hiding your devices goes a long way toward preventing their theft. You’ll also want to throw away the device’s packaging so that no one can snoop around your home and see what you own.

4. Lock the Doors

Keep your home and vehicle doors locked, and you deter thieves from accessing your electronics.

5. Register Your Devices

When you buy electronics, take the time to register then with the manufacturer. Those companies often cooperate with the police to find stolen electronics.

6. Buy Theft Insurance

Adding your electronics to your renter’s or homeowner’s insurance policy won’t protect them from theft. However, the right insurance could replace stolen electronics. Talk to your agent and ensure you have replacement coverage on everything from your laptop and printer to your tablet and MP3 player. To prove the value of the devices you own, save the purchase receipts and record the serial numbers with your insurance policy in a secure location.

Maybe you’re a college student who needs a roommate. Or, you might have an empty room or two in your home that you want to fill. You certainly don’t want a roommate who trashes your home, steals your stuff or threatens your safety. How do you know if potential roommate candidates are safe?

Decide What Type of Roommate You Want

Whether you’re a party animal or love peace and quiet, your roommate should share your core values. You don’t have to agree on everything, but your life will be much easier, more peaceful and safer if you room with someone who’s similar to you.

Research Potential Roommates

You increase your chances of staying safe when you thoroughly research all your potential roommates. To do that:

*Do a Google search and check out their social media pages. This research gives you great insight into a potential roommate’s character.

*Run a credit check. It will show you whether the person is reliable or unreliable with bill payment.

*Ask about current employment. A stable roommate who holds a steady job and brings home an honest income is more likely to be responsible than someone who can’t keep a job.

*Talk to references: The people your potential roommate lived with in the past can be an excellent source of information about his or her character. Talk to a few of these references before you make a final decision on who will share your home.

Spend Time Together

Once you’ve created a short list of potential roommates, chat online and meet them individually at a neutral location like a coffee shop or mall. This time together helps you decide if you’re compatible.

Once you select a roommate, update your homeowners or renters insurance. It won’t ensure your roommate is safe, but it will give you peace of mind and financial compensation if your home is damaged or your belongings are stolen.