Tags:

•  

  3 Days in December that Devastate Homeowners

  December 13, 2007 | By: Matt | Comments (0) | Posted in: Homeowners

  December is usually a time for families to come together and enjoy one another's company. However, there are extra risks associated with the Holiday season. The yearly estimated fire loss for December 24, 25, and 26 is estimated at over $80 million*. Each year, these losses result from an estimated 11,600 fires that required a fire department response.

  The first thing you should do to protect your home is to have the proper homeowners insurance coverage. If a Holiday disaster does happen to you, a homeowners insurance policy can help you get back to normal more quickly then if you are uninsured.

  More Decorations Means Higher Fire Risk December is the deadliest month for home fires. In fact, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve are the top three days for home fires. Although unattended cooking and heating are the primary causes of such fires, almost half (48%) were attributed to Christmas trees, which were caused by some type of electrical failure or malfunction. December is the peak time of year for home candle fires. In December, 13% of home candle fires began with decorations compared to 4% the rest of the year.

  The Deadly Side of Christmas Trees
  The NFPA also warns us about Christmas tree fires, as they contribute to over 300 home fires and 14 deaths every year. Christmas tree fires are generally caused by malfunctioning tree lights, and by the tree being too close to a heat source (fireplace, heater, candle, etc.) When decorating your tree, you should never use lights with worn cords or loose bulb connections, and always unplug the lights before going to bed or leaving the house

  10 Tips For Holiday Fire Safety

  1) Use Caution With Holiday Decorations
  Try to choose decorations that are flame-resistant, non-combustible, or made from flame retardant material.

  2) Watch Where You Place Candles
  Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials. Also, don't use candles to decorate your Christmas tree.

  3) Buy Lights that have been Tested
  When purchasing your Holiday lights and electrical decorations, buy those that have a label that they were tested by an independent research lab. Make sure you follow the instructions that come with the decorations.

  4) Inspect Your Lights
  Inspect new and used light strands and replace damaged items before plugging them in. Also make sure you don't overload extension cords.

  5) Unplug Your Lights When Changing Bulbs
  If you have to replace a bulb, make sure you unplug the strand of lights before you change the bulb. Also, if you blew a fuse trying to get Rudolph's nose brighter, unplug the decoration before checking the fuse box.

  6) Check the Number of Strands You Need
  Check to see how many strands of lights need to be connected. Make sure you don't connect more than three strands of push-in-bulbs and a maximum of 50 screw-in-bulbs.

  7) Carefully Hang Your Lights
  When hanging your lights, make sure you do so in a way that won't damage the cords wire insulation. An example would be using clips instead of nails.

  8) Keep Children and Pets Away From Lights
  Make sure that children and pets can't get to electrical decorations and strands of lights.

  9) Turn Off Decorations When Going to Bed
  Make sure you unplug and turn off your Holiday decorations when you turn in.

  10) Watch the Stove
  The number one cause of home fires is unattended cooking. Make sure you don't lose track of what you're cooking when spending time with your family or guests.

  With all the joys that come with the Holidays, make sure you take the extra precautions to make your Holiday season as safe and joyous as possible. And as the New Year approaches, it's a good time to start thinking about updating your homeowners insurance policy.

  *Content provided by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.org)

  Share this Article:

  

  Tags:

  • christmas tree fires
  • holiday decorations
  • home fires
  • home insurance
  • homeowners insurance
  • insurance

   

  2007 Life Insurance: It Was a Very Good Year...

  December 13, 2007 | By: Matt | Comments (0) | Posted in: Life

  
  

  The year 2007 is almost over. Think of all that has happened this past year; gas and housing prices fluctuated all year, the final installment of the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling was released, and Bob Barker stepped down as the host of the famous game show The Price Is Right. Now think of all the changes that happened in your life. Maybe you got married or divorced, started a family, or retired this year. But have you updated your life insurance policy?

  Newlyweds Need New Life Insurance
  Congratulations if you got married in 2007. Perhaps you and your significant other felt lucky and tied the knot on 7/7/07. The average number of weddings registered on the website The Knot for any Saturday in July is about 12,000, but for 7/7/07 the number tripled to 38,000. Even if you are feeling lucky after your triple sevens wedding, you shouldn't gamble by not having life insurance.

  Most newlywed couples do not need extremely high levels of life insurance coverage; however, securing extra coverage at a younger age is a sound financial decision. As you begin to purchase things together (such as a house) and acquire debt, it is important to make sure you are adequately covered in the event of a catastrophe. Many find it easy to pay their mortgage when they are part of a two-income household, but those same people could find themselves in a financial pinch if something were to happen to their partner and they had to survive on their income alone.

  Divorced or Widowed in 2007? Why You Don't Want to be Like Mike
  Famous Chicago Bull Michael Jordan is getting divorced from once wife Juanita. What makes this an atypical divorce is that if Juanita gets the customary half of everything, she could get more then $150 million in the settlement, making it the most expensive divorce in entertainment history.

  Being newly divorced or widowed is a difficult time. As much as you may be hurting, you must also consider practical matters such as life insurance. You may have increased financial obligations now (for example, paying for accommodations and expenses on one salary instead of two, etc.), and you may have lost life insurance coverage you previously had through your spouse. Getting divorced means a change in your life insurance coverage needs; make sure you update your coverage if you did get divorced or widowed this past year.

  Welcoming a New Addition to Your Family in 2007
  This one may seem a little more obvious, but in the excitement of planning for their new baby, many people forget to adjust their life insurance to their new needs. In addition to other important forms of insurance, such as health insurance and coverage for catastrophes such as fire, flooding or burglary, it is also important to make sure that you will be able to take care of your kids financially.

  If your spouse were to pass away, would you be able to provide for your children's many needs? Or, if you were a stay at home parent and the major breadwinner of the household were to pass away, how would you take care of your children? Make sure you and your spouse have adequate life insurance coverage to protect both yourselves and your children. And make sure to adjust your beneficiaries as your family grows.

  Enjoying the Prime Years of Life
  Maybe 2007 was the last year you had to work. Now you can't start relaxing and living the good life in 2008. But, it is also true that most new retirees do need to think about maintaining an adequate level of life insurance coverage. Consider your children or spouse you may leave behind. Even though your children may be grown and on their own, and your spouse may be able to live comfortably on his or her retirement savings, there are many special circumstances in which they may find themselves in financial trouble if you were to pass, or vice versa, you if they were to.

  Life insurance is made to protect your loved ones financially in the event of your passing; keeping them financially secure and avoiding debt caused by funeral expenses. As your life changes, so does the amount of coverage you need. The beginning of the year is an excellent time to either shop around for new life insurance or reflect on the past year to update your coverage. As you ring in the New Year with your family and friends, think about how you could financially protect them with the right amount of life insurance.

  Many people may feel they don't need life insurance when they are young. While your financial needs may be lower at a younger age, the rates are also substantially less expensive when you're young. Remember, the goal is to cover your primary assets so should something happen to you; your beneficiaries would be able to persevere financially. The best advice is to lock in as much protection at a young age while your health is good and the price is right.

  Share this Article:

  

  Tags:

  • beneficiaries
  • insurance
  • insurance coverage
  • insurance policy
  • insurance quotes
  • life insurance
  • life insurance quotes
  • newlyweds
  • term life insurance

   

  Holiday Protection With Renters Insurance

  December 13, 2007 | By: Matt | Comments (0) | Posted in: Renters

  The Holiday season usually means decorating your home or apartment and spending time with your family and friends. If you live in a rented home and see someone coming down your chimney, chances are he/she isn't there to bring you gifts. Rented homes are 79% more likely to be victimized by burglary then a home that is owned. Although renters insurance is affordable, only 43% of renters have a renters insurance policy. It is important to take measures to protect your home or apartment from break-ins with proper security and a renters insurance policy.
  Why You Need Renters Insurance
  Take a mental inventory of all your personal belongings. When you consider the value of your furniture, clothing, electronic equipment, CDs, DVDs, etc. the numbers really begin to add up quickly. What if your home were burglarized? Could you afford to replace all the property that was stolen? Most people simply can't afford to replace all their belongings at once. So you can dip into your savings and begin the slow and expensive process of replacing your stolen items one-by-one. Or, you can protect your personal property with a renters insurance policy.

  What About Your Landlord's Policy?
  While your landlord might not be Ebenezer Scrooge, you as a renter will not be covered under your landlords insurance policy. Many renters mistakenly presume that their landlord's policy will cover their property losses. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Most landlords' policies only cover the building and the building infrastructure. They do not extend to their tenants personal belongings. What's more, once a guest enters your home, you're liable for any injuries they may sustain while in your home.

  What Renters Insurance Covers
  Renters insurance is the most viable solution to protecting your belongings. Renters insurance covers personal property losses against a variety of perils including theft, vandalism, fire or lightning, windstorm or hail, smoke, water-related damage from home utilities, electrical surge damage and more. Renters insurance also provides liability coverage against a claim or lawsuit resulting from a bodily injury or property damage to others caused by an accident on your property. In addition, most policies will provide living expense assistance if your home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered peril.

  Renters Insurance Is Affordable
  Renters insurance is relatively inexpensive and you may well qualify for a variety of premium discounts. The average premium for $30,000 of property coverage and $100,000 of liability coverage is only $16 per month. When you do the quick math you can see that you can buy a policy that will protect tens of thousands of dollars in possessions for only a few hundred dollars a year.

  You can take measures to lessen the risk of having your home broken into. Installing a deadbolt lock on your front door (if you don't have one already), adding window locks and installing a burglar alarm are great ways to ward off potential intruders. But even if you are victimized by a thief, at least you can take some comfort knowing that your personal belongings will be protected with a renters insurance policy.
  

  Share this Article:

  

  Tags:

  • burglar alarm
  • deabolts
  • insurance
  • insurance policy
  • insurance premium
  • liability coverage
  • renters insurance
  • renters quotes

   

  Parking Lots and Holiday Shopping

  December 3, 2007 | By: | Comments (0) | Posted in: Auto

  In December, parking lots closely portray scenes from Mel Gibson's "Mad Max." Ravaged shoppers desperately prowl among crowded parking spaces amid lurking criminals that target those unsuspecting. Before returning to "Thunderdome," let us be reminded of three things: 1) Don't be a dangerous driver; 2) Protect your car from being broken into; and 3) Be aware of your personal safety.

   

  Don't Be A Dangerous Parking Lot Driver

   

  Parking in holiday parking lots can be stressful. It causes us to lose sight of everything but the task at hand, including pedestrians and other cars looking for spots. It can cause aggressive driving if you and another car duel for a vacant spot.

   

  While this situation is obviously frustrating, challenge yourself to stay calm. Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune is proposing the following holiday parking karma challenge: "From now until New Year's, whenever you encounter a contest for a spot in a crowded lot, where 'two men enter, and one man leaves,' yield to the other car. You'll manage your stress with the deed, and hopefully rewarded with a bounty of spots."

   

  Protect Against Theft

   

  The holiday season is very good to parking lot thieves. Many shoppers leave their belongings and purchases visible in their cars, increasing their chances of being victims. A classic holiday parking lot tip is that if you have more shopping to do, and you need to store some of your purchases in your car, move your car to a new location before returning to the store. This will hide your vulnerable behavior from stalking thieves. Also, it's good to lock your purchases in the trunk--out of sight from would-be thieves.

   

  Be Aware and Protect Yourself

   

  Unfortunately, some of the top places that people (women especially) are abducted or attacked are in shopping center parking lots or garages. Predators look for easy victims, so there are several things you can do to prevent yourself from becoming one:

  • Be alert.

  • Keep your head up at all times, and be aware of your surroundings.

  • Always keep your distance when walking past strangers in a dark area. Attackers generally look for someone who is distracted, including women searching through their purses or talking on their cell phones.

  • Before getting into your car, look on both sides, in the back seat, and even under the car. If there is a man sitting alone in a car on either side of you, think about going back into the store and returning later, or asking for an escort to your car such as a security guard or courtesy clerk.

  • Once inside your car, lock the doors and drive away as soon as you get in. In the event you are grabbed (or are about to be), fight back, proceed to yell, scream, hit and kick with everything you have. Again, the attacker is looking for an easy victim, and will probably give up if you put up a fight.

   

  Share this Article:

  

  Tags:

  • car insurance
  • christmas
  • holiday safety
  • parking lot
  • shopping
  • theft

   

  « November 2007 | Main | January 2008 »