Personal Perspective

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more teens dies from motor vehicle crashes than from any other cause. Protect your teens with five safe driving tips.

1. Turn off the Phone

Talking or texting on a cellphone, even one that’s hands-free, produces the same results as driving while drunk. Plus, many states have laws against drivers talking on cellphones. To be safe, teens should turn off their phones and stay focused on the road when they get behind the wheel.

2. Follow the Speed Limit

Speed contributes to up to 40 percent of fatal teen accidents. Instead of driving fast to keep up with traffic or to show off, teen drivers stay safe when they follow the speed limit. This tip applies especially when teens drive on unfamiliar roads, in the midst of heavy traffic or during inclement weather, but it’s also important every day.

3. Reduce Distractions

Loud music, cold sodas and engaging conversation have their place at a party but not in the car. Teen drivers must focus on the task at hand and reduce distractions that may prevent them from seeing obstacles, obeying posted signs or maintaining control of the vehicle.

4. Practice Defensive Driving

Defensive driving allows teens to maintain safe following distances, obey signs and plan an escape route. Most drivers develop this mindset over time, but smart teens practice these skills from the time they first earn their driving license.

5. Drive a Safe Car

Employing safe driving techniques is an important factor when keeping teen drivers safe on the road, but the vehicle can play a role too. Vehicles with anti-lock brakes, air bags, backup assist and electronic stability control can protect teens.

Keeping teen drivers safe is possible with these five tips. Likewise, be sure to purchase adequate auto insurance on each vehicle. Call your agent today to update your policies and for additional safe teen driving tips.
Sources: Five Safe Driving Tips for New Teen Drivers

According to the FBI, an average of 2.1 million burglaries occur each year. Your current renters or homeowners insurance will replace stolen items, but consider implementing several strategies that prevent burglars from targeting your home in the first place. In addition to security systems, deadbolts and motion detection lights, consider whether or not a dog can successfully deter burglars from targeting and entering your home.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Large Breeds

Big dogs, including German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers and Mastiffs, look intimidating to burglars. Their bite can be pretty ferocious too. However, some big dog breeds aren’t known for their bark. If a burglar is casually casing a neighborhood, he or she may leave your house alone because a big dog lives there.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Small Breeds

Small dogs like Terriers, Schnauzers and Beagles don’t look intimidating. They can be noisy, though, and their yapping can be invaluable for your protection. Burglars look for easy targets, and they’ll walk away from your house if your dog starts barking and alerts you or the neighbors to their presence.

Are Dogs Always Foolproof Burglar Deterrents?

Both large and small dogs can deter burglars, but keep a few facts in mind before you buy or adopt a canine protector.

1. Remember that all dogs don’t follow breed stereotypes. Some Dobermans are docile with strangers, and your Terrier might not bark.

2. Burglars who want in your home will find a way whether you have a dog or not. They can simply poison the dog or distract it with food.

3. Your lease or homeowners association agreement may prevent you from owing a dog or a certain breed of dog. Check it carefully.

Overall, dogs can deter burglars. You should use additional security options as well, though. Contact us for information about renters and homeowners insurance and to receive advice that keeps your home, family and belongings safe from burglars.

Roughly two million burglaries occur each year. Protect your home and family when you implement five landscaping tricks that don’t compromise your home’s exterior appearance or value.

1. Place Hostile Plants by Entryways
Burglars typically target easily accessible windows and doors. By placing hostile plants loaded with thorns, briars and brambles near these entryways, you discourage potential burglars. Several hostile plants to consider include roses, holly, raspberries, bird’s nest spruces, needle bushes and Spanish bayonet.

2. Trim Shrubbery Near the House
Overgrown shrubs, bushes and flowering plants look untidy, and they give burglars plenty of places to hide. They also prevent neighbors and anyone on the street from seeing suspicious behavior near your home. Protect your home when you keep shrubbery trimmed to lower than three feet tall all along the exterior of your home. Remember to trim plants away from the sides of your home too.

3. Use Noisy Ground Cover
Burglars try to be as quiet as possible, but noisy ground cover around your windows and doors alerts you to their every move. Pea gravel or other crunching stones do the trick, and you can find these burglar deterrents in colors that match your existing landscaping.

4. Install Short Privacy Fencing
Tall fences and tree barriers increase privacy, but they also obscure burglars. Install short fencing with an open design instead. If you already planted trees or shrubs, trim them so that the canopy starts at eight feet or higher off the ground.

5. Turn on the Lights
Most outdoor landscaping includes lighting of some sort. Opt for strategically placed motion-activated lighting as you reduce your chances of being burglarized. Place these lights near all your doors and windows and along pathways. They frighten burglars away and warn you when someone walks near your home.

Your home’s landscaping adds beauty and value to your property. It also deters burglars. Talk to your insurance agent today and discuss additional landscaping tricks that deter burglars and protect your home.

Comprehensive Insurance covers your car, truck or van if it sustains physical damage from a theft, vandalism, fire, flood and flying or falling objects. Is this coverage a good investment for you?

You Might Need Collision Insurance Too

Certain insurance companies won’t add comprehensive coverage to your policy unless you also buy collision coverage. However, you can usually purchase collision insurance without comprehensive. Ask your agent for details.

The Lease or Loan Might Require It

If you lease your vehicle or took out a loan to buy it, the dealership or bank probably requires you to purchase comprehensive coverage. They might also mandate the deductible your policy includes. Be sure you understand these requirements when you talk to your insurance agent about coverage for your new vehicle.

Factor in the Deductible

Every insurance policy includes a deductible, the amount of money you pay out-of-pocket when you file a claim. If the deductible for comprehensive coverage is more than you can afford, don’t buy the extra coverage.

However, take into consideration the cost of replacing your vehicle. A flood, for example, could total your vehicle. In that case, paying the $500 to $1,000 deductible for a replacement vehicle is affordable.

Determine the Value of Your Older Vehicle

You’ve probably heard that your older vehicle doesn’t need comprehensive coverage. That’s because it isn’t worth much, and you’ll end up paying more for the premium each month than you would get from the insurance company if your vehicle were damaged.

Before you discount comprehensive coverage for your older vehicle, do your homework and consult Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds or NADAguides to determine your vehicle’s value. If you find out that your older vehicle is worth a decent amount of money, consider adding the optional coverage.

Your decision to purchase comprehensive coverage depends on several factors. Talk to your agent as you determine if the extra coverage makes sense for your budget and insurance needs.

Take a minute to count the number of cellphones, TVs, computers, gaming systems and music players in your home. Do you own more than 5, 15 or even 25 devices? What are they all worth? Your homeowners or renters insurance policy might not cover your electronics, so learn how to insure all your valuable devices.

Check Your Homeowners or Renters Insurance Policy

Under the Contents section of your policy, take a look at what’s covered. If your electronics aren’t specifically mentioned, ask your agent for details about available coverage. Remember to ask if your devices are covered in case they’re damaged accidentally, dropped, immersed in liquid, cracked, vandalized, stolen or affected by a power surge.

Think About Actual Versus Replacement Value

You may have purchased your computer a few years ago for $300, but replacing it with a comparable model today may cost $700. Be sure your insurance policy covers the cost of replacing all your electronic devices. The extra premium you’ll pay is usually only a few dollars but pays for itself multiple times over if you need to file a claim.

Consider the Deductible

Most policies include a $500 deductible that’s your responsibility to pay if you file a claim. Your deductible might even be higher if you’re on a strict budget. Include that deductible into your calculations as you decide how much coverage you need for your devices.

Keep Thorough Records

Insurance companies typically need to see proof before they pay a claim. So, carefully store all your receipts when you purchase electronics and accessories. Additionally, record the serial numbers and take pictures of all your insured devices. Copies of these records should be kept in a fireproof safe and at a friend’s house or safe deposit box. Update the records as you buy, sell and upgrade electronics.

Call your insurance agent today to add the necessary electronics coverage you need. Then, stay in touch, enjoy your favorite tunes and watch the movies you like with peace of mind.

You know you need auto and home insurance, but should you look online for a policy or talk to an agent? Consider your personal preferences and several pros and cons of each method before you decide where to purchase your insurance policies.

Online Pros:

• Convenience: Click the mouse and instantly compare different coverage amounts and see quotes from several companies.
• No Obligation to Buy: Never feel pressured to buy a policy. Simply opt out of receiving future quotes or communication from comparison sites.
• Instant Coverage: As soon as you find the policy you want, buy it and print insurance cards immediately.

Online Cons:

• Impersonal: Online policies don’t allow you to build a relationship with a person who knows and understands you.
• Security: All your data is compiled and compared over the Internet, making your information an easy target for thieves. Plus, less reputable comparison sites may sell your data to third parties.

Agent Pros:

• Relationship: To an agent, particularly one in your hometown, you’re more than a number. He or she builds a relationship with you and your family, see you at the grocery store and local events and truly has your best interests in mind.
• Get Answers: If you have a question about your policy or coverage, call your agent and receive answers from a live person.
• Negotiate Price: In cases, an insurance agent can negotiate a policy’s price. They also know you and can recommend money-saving discounts and other ways to reduce insurance costs.

Agent Cons:

• Inconvenient: Most offices have limited evening and weekend hours, so you can’t buy or make adjustments to your policy 24/7.
• Comparison Challenges: Certain agents sell insurance from only one company. To compare different policies, you need to work with an agent or broker who sells policies from multiple companies.

Buying insurance is a necessity. While buying online and from a local agent both have pros and cons, find the personalized service you need when you purchase from an in-person agent.

Automakers and the U.,S. Department of Transportation have extended a five-year partnership to develop alcohol detection equipment that can help prevent intoxicated people from driving a vehicle.

This non-invasive system will be able to determine when a driver has a blood alcohol content ( BAC) of 0.08%, which is the limit in all 50 states. The device will be unobtrusive to the driver and is activated with the ignition switch.

According to National Highway Transportation Agency Administrator David Strickland, “In this age of innovation, smart technology might be the breakthrough we need to prevent drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel and endangering the safety of others on our roads.”

By early 2015, the agency hopes to have a research vehicle that incorporates two technological approaches to measure BAC: touch based and breath based. Research using laboratory-scale prototypes is underway, while testing on-road prototype devices is expected within the next few years.

Our agency stands ready to help meet your Auto insurance needs.

Why should you add Umbrella Liability coverage to your Auto and Homeowners insurance?

Consider these scenarios:

• Your teenager was reckless with the car and injured several people in an automobile accident. Although your Auto policy will pay $250,000, total losses come to more than $400,000.
• Fido gets loose and chomps down, severely injuring your neighbor. Her medical expenses are too much for your Homeowners insurance to cover.
• A visitor slips and falls on your driveway, sues you for $1 million – and wins. Once again, your Homeowners policy falls short.

In situations like this, Umbrella Liability could save you big bucks by picking up a possible six-figure tab after you max out coverage under your Auto or Homeowners insurance– and the premium is relatively low.

We’d be happy to provide more information on this invaluable “peace of mind” policy.

Driving on snow and ice is dangerous and can lead to panic and anxiety. To arrive safely at your destination, follow these safety tips:

• Drive carefully. Go slower than necessary and stay mindful of your surroundings.
• Get plenty of rest. Driving alone while fatigued is dangerous enough; throwing in adverse weather conditions and it becomes deadly. Be ready for anything.
• Check your tires to be sure that they’re filled properly.
• Don’t warm up your car in an enclosed area. Pull the vehicle out of the garage first.
• Make sure the gas tank remains half full. This will keep the gas line from freezing.
• NEVER use cruise control when driving in slippery conditions.
• ALWAYS use your seat belt.
• Keep emergency supplies in your vehicle. This includes blankets and jackets, batteries, flashlights, non-perishable food items, water, a radio, and a first aid kit.

Whenever you get behind the wheel, please remember that your actions affect yourself, your family, and others on the road. If you’re driving in less than stellar conditions, remain aware and cautious at all times.

We’re always ready to help meet your Auto insurance need. Just give us a call.

The “polar vortex “in January shattered temperature records throughout the central and eastern U.S.:. New York City hit 4 F o and Chicago suffered -16 F. o The cold snap killed more than 20 people, , schools closed, highways shut down, and people remain inside and kept warm.

Your home, like you, needs to stay warm. Here are a few guidelines to help you and your family keep toasty indoors this winter.

• Cover your drafts. Seal all open areas. Including doors and windows. You can buy “snake rolls” online through DIY, or roll up an old towel and put it at the source of the draft. Caulking works great for windows.
• Replace your furnace filters monthly. Although this item might be out of sight and out of mind, put it on your calendar.
• Winterize your air conditioning unit and pipes. Drain all water from the air conditioner. Get styrofoam covering for your pipes to keep them from freezing. Make sure all water spigots are turned completely off.
• Replace your doors and windows with storm units.
• Pay attention to the thermostat. It’ s easy to run your heater on high, but you’ll also get a huge electric/gas bill each month. Adding a blanket or two instead will help keep your bill under control.

For more information on staying warm, feel free to get in touch with us or visit our agency.