Road Travel Tips – A Blog series
Auto insurance is our specialty but not everything related to travelling is about making sure you have the right coverage. It’s also important to have the best possible quality of life while travelling and taking care of yourself so any long road-trips don’t wear you out. That said; we have put together a blog series about getting the most out of your time on the road.
This first entry was written with those who travel for a living or are preparing for a long road-trip…
Keeping Mind and Body Fit on the Road
Business trips and any long road-trips have a tendency to disrupt our regular routines – especially our exercise habits. Without the familiarity of a local gym, home treadmill, elliptical machine or jogging route, many travelers don’t work out because it’s simply more convenient not to. And this lack of physical activity can cause sleeplessness, fatigue and irritability. Worst of all, any or all of those conditions can rear their ugly heads when you are behind the wheel leading to decreased reaction time or even bouts of road rage. This should be avoided at all costs so we have a few ideas for keeping your mind and body fit when on the road:
• Whenever possible, make reservations at a hotel with a pool, exercise facility or one that offers passes to a nearby gym. A few laps in a pool can do wonders for helping promote a good night’s sleep.
• Try exercising in your hotel room. When making reservations, check to see if the room will have a DVD player so you can use an exercise DVD – or use your laptop. You can also bring lightweight, easily stored equipment from home, like resistance bands and wrist and ankle weights.
• Use the hotel’s common areas to take an indoor hike through the halls or “do” the stairs” (but take the elevator down to save your knees).
You should always check with your doctor before exercising of course – and this is not meant to be construed as medical advice. This is just some friendly info to make you aware of the risks associated with inactivity due to long stints of driving.
- Published in Road Safety
Enjoy Hassle Free Driving Vacations With GPS
With a long journey ahead and a car full of eager (and often bored) children, the last thing that any family needs is for arguments to erupt about which direction to take or, worse still, which direction they should have taken as they find themselves hopelessly lost. With GPS and satellite navigation (sat nav) on board, however, you can say goodbye to family feuds and really enjoy a hassle-free family driving vacation.
Of course, nowadays, many new cars come with GPS and sat nav devices already installed in the vehicle, but if yours happens to be an older model, you may not have this luxury. For a relatively low cost, however, you can buy your own system to install in your car or, if you own a smartphone such as Apple’s iPhone or a Droid, you can use this to guide you.
Of course, the main purpose of GPS and sat nav systems is to get you quickly and easily to your destination, but most of the systems on sale today also provide you with the functionality to find out where the nearest facilities are, and again, this can save all those unnecessary squabbles about why you didn’t bother to fill up at the last gas station as you grind to a halt in the middle of nowhere, or the endless whining from the children about how much longer they are going to have to wait before you stop for something to eat.
- Published in Uncategorized
Economy Shines in the Top Safety Picks of 2012
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just issued a partial list of its safest vehicles of the 2012 production year (the full list is expected later in the year). Popular sentiment has it that small cars are not as safe, but he great news for those looking for a new, economical car is that several of the top picks are indeed small gas-sippers.
• Chevrolet Sonic. At 40 mpg on the highway, this new offering for the 2012 model year from Chevy is definitely worth of attention. Available as a hatchback or sedan, the Sonic includes great safety features like side airbags and electronic stability control, which helps prevent rollovers. And in case of a rollover, the Sonic can support up to 5.37 times its own weight – an impressive figure that is 4 times the minimum required to get a top rating.
• Honda Civic. Another top performer, the perennially popular Civic clocks in at 39 mpg highway/28 mpg city, with great features like stability control and brake assist.
• Ford Focus. Another terrific combination of economy and safety, the Focus gets 37 mpg highway/27 mpg city. It boasts some of the same features of the Sonic and Civic, including electronic stability control, side airbags, optional rear-view camera, and a breaking system called torque vectoring control which helps negotiate sharp curves.
In the luxury car segment, the Audi A6 was a top safety performer, while the Volkswagen Passat made the list in the mid-size division. The full list of top safety picks from the IIHS will be available later in the year.
- Published in Road Safety
Not a Homeowner Yet? Renters Insurance Has Got You Covered
Young adults these days are spending more time exploring before getting settled into their own homes. Lots of other folks just don’t care to take on all the responsibilities of home ownership. And of course, in the current economic client, there are those that are working toward qualification for a mortgage but just aren’t there yet. What all of this means is that there are plenty of renters out there, of all types. Of course, if you are a renter, that doesn’t mean your possessions are any less valuable, which is why renters insurance is a great idea.
Whether you rent an apartment or a home, there are lots of reasons to get good renters insurance. A fire in an adjacent apartment can cause plenty of damage to your things, even though you didn’t start it. A big storm could easily send a tree through the roof of your rented house, sending torrents of rain on your electronics. Or water pipes could break, causing untold damage to your furniture. These things and more are covered by a good renters insurance policy.
Here’s one you might not think of: suppose you invite the pizza delivery guy in while you grab your wallet, and he slips, falls and hurts himself in your doorway. The right renters policy will cover you. Or say you come home one evening to find your home burglarized, laptop and flat screen gone.
There are lots of terrific arguments for renters insurance, not least of which is how affordable policies are. You’d be surprised at the coverage you can get for all your possessions for not a lot of cash. Give us a call today and we’ll be happy to help you get just the right policy at a rate that you can afford.
- Published in Renter's Insurance
Minimum Coverage = Maximum Risk
We recently published a blog post about compulsory insurance coverage, and got some great feedback and the recommendation that we better spell out the risks associated with opting for minimal insurance coverage. Well, here we go…
Here is the big question: “If compulsory is all that’s required for my car, why should I spend more? Doesn’t my state government know what’s best?”
I can’t say whether or not your particular state government knows what’s best, but I can say that some states may not even require auto insurance. New Hampshire, for example, did not legally require auto insurance for its drivers when I lived in the state next door, and it was a mess whenever an uninsured driver from that state visited mine and had an accident (because, of course, the driver is still financially responsible).
My point here is that some states have very different views on auto insurance requirements than others. Laws can be complicated, and some date back so far that they no longer make sense to many people. So with all this said, I always opt for good insurance over minimal.
Another question worth mentioning was “I am in the same business as my friend in another state, but she pays only 80% of what I pay for business insurance. Why do I have to pay more?”
Without knowing the two states in question I cannot answer this question with great specifics – but I can tell you that you the policies could be very different with regard to coverage. While your friend is saving some money each month, you need to ask yourself what is he or she getting for that savings. If his/her business had a problem – and you had the same one – who would be better protected and is that worth the price of the added monthly cost?
- Published in Automobile Insurance
Discount Insurance is Not Necessarily a Bargain
Everybody loves a bargain, but buyer beware – all discount insurance is not created equal!
It’s human nature, and just plain smart, to shop around for the best prices. Just don’t confuse the lowest prices with the best values. They are, more often than not, two very different animals. And it all makes sense when you take some time to really understand what you are getting for your so-called “bargain”. For instance, buying something you don’t need at 50% off is not a bargain. On the other hand, buying something you desperately need at any discount can be a real bargain – as long as the quality is there.
What’s that? “Quality”? In insurance? Isn’t all insurance pretty much the same? Not at all, but that’s exactly what some of the “discount” providers hope you will believe.
So let’s break this down into two simple rules for smart comparison shopping:
First – Are they trying to sell you something you really don’t need? I don’t mean an upgrade from minimum coverage, because (in my own opinion) that is more of a need than most people realize. No, I am talking about additional coverage for things that do not relate to your situation. If you ever find yourself looking at pages of stuff in your policy that make you question its value, ask the question. Both you and your insurance provider will be glad you did.
Second – Be sure to compare “apples to apples”. Get a written line-by-line summary of exactly what your prospective insurance policies cover and go through the two policies side-by-side very carefully. More often than not you will find seemingly small discrepancies that put a whole new twist on the definition of “bargain”.
- Published in Uncategorized
Never Sign Anything (except a ticket from a police officer) at the Scene of an Accident
This is a sad story, and one I have heard too many times. Recently a young woman wanted to switch insurance companies because the premiums from her current insurance provider had gone up after an accident for which she was at fault. At least that’s what she was told. You see, she was actually the victim but signed away her chances of proving it. Here’s what happened.
Let’s call her “Diane”… Diane was driving home from her day of college classes when she approached a yellow light and stopped. The gentleman driving behind her (let’s call him Tom), while talking on his cell phone, gunned his engine in an effort to “beat the light”, as I’m sure, he thought Diane would do.
So, this is a clear case of Tom being at fault and driving carelessly, or even recklessly, right? Well, it should have been. But Tom was a crafty one. He jumped out of his new BMW and started shouting at Diane for causing the accident. He then claimed to be a lawyer and insisted that Diane would be sued to the point where, IF she was able to continue with college, she would be paying him off for the rest of her life. He then softened up and told her that he understands accidents happen and all she had to do to avoid being sued was simply sign a statement saying she stopped too quickly and accidentally caused the incident. She signed it and that was that. Now she was “responsible” for the accident and could no longer afford her own auto insurance.
This happens more than you think so please follow this advice: Never Sign Anything (except a ticket from a police officer) at the Scene of an Accident.
- Published in Road Safety
Before You Buy That New Home
So you are shopping for a new home. Congratulations! But before you take out that mortgage, be sure to check on a few insurance considerations, like these…
Is your soon to be new home in a flood plain?
You might not consider that cute little creek flowing through the back yard (or down the street) to be anything but a nice attraction. Unfortunately this beautiful little stream can turn into a property demolition machine under the right conditions. So, first things first – be sure your new home is not situated in a flood plain. If it is in any danger of water damage, be sure you know in advance the cost of such insurance.
Is it in a storm prone area?
Let’s face it, everyplace has its natural disasters. Every year we hear about a 100,000 acre wildfire or a dam or levee breaking. But it’s the things we don’t always hear about that you need to pay extra attention to because the reason we typically don’t hear them often publicized is because local residents are so used to them that it is almost commonplace.
There are the obvious ones like hurricanes in New England, earthquakes on the West Coast and tropical storms in Florida – but every place has its special considerations. That said, do a little extra research before locating to an unfamiliar area and get insurance costs up front. Finding out you need three additional types of coverage the week before closing is a surprise you can live without.
- Published in Homeowner's Insurance
How To Save on Insurance “Bundles”
Insurance bundles are different than what most people think of when considering “bundled goods.” In fact some popular TV commercials tend to perpetuate the myth in their warehouse shopping setting.
Here’s what I mean:
Have you ever shopped at one of those warehouse super-savings stores? You know the ones, where you buy ten tubes of toothpaste in one shot. You’ve got enough toothpaste to last a year and you got in at a big discount by taking advantage of bundled purchasing. Congratulations!
But insurance is not some sundry item that you can stockpile in the pantry. You need to choose your insurance bundles wisely and avoid any fluff that some agents tend to throw in.
While it’s true that you can save a good deal of money with an insurance package bundle, it is not because you are saving on stocking and shipping fees, or allowing some warehouse to order in 10X quantities to get their own discount. You save on insurance because it reduces administrative fees and the marketing costs it would otherwise cost the insurance provider to sell that same policy as a “one-off” to a new client. It may also be a type of loyalty reward. In any event, it’s important to know that while you might be able to get the same toothpaste at 50 locations in your area, the same is not true of insurance. So while the discount warehouse analogy is cute and easy to understand, remember that you can save a great deal of money with insurance bundles, such as auto, home and life, but each package should be custom assembled to meet your exact needs.
- Published in Automobile Insurance
What Does “Compulsory” Mean?
This question comes up a lot… “What does compulsory mean?”
In short, it means the minimum acceptable amount of insurance as dictated by your state of residence. In other words, if talking about auto insurance (which is typical) compulsory is the bare minimum insurance coverage for you to be allowed to legally operate your vehicle.
Typically, compulsory coverage can be loosely considered a minimum damage protection policy to pay for damages if you injure another person or damage property with your vehicle.
Please note that compulsory coverage is a mandated minimum amount of insurance that changes from state to state and should not be considered the recommended amount of coverage, but rather just enough to be legal.
Of course, compulsory insurance coverage applies to more than auto insurance. It affects business policies as well. For example, if you operate an engineering firm , you may find that “E&O” or “errors and omissions” insurance is required in order to practice.
Basically, the term “compulsory” as it relates to insurance can describe any type of legal insurance policy minimum. That said, this is the minimum and not the ideal amount of coverage. So when it’s time to explore that new policy, if you are thinking of doing just compulsory, take a few minutes and compare the difference between that and the policy recommended by your agent. Often times the price difference is minimal but the value from enhanced protection will always be exceptional.
Just think of it this way… If something did ever go wrong, would you want the barest minimal assistance to help you out of the jam?
- Published in Auto Insurance Premiums