Should I Contact My Agent If I’ve Made Changes to My Home?

Have you put an addition on your home or updated your kitchen or bath? Should make changes to your insurance policy? The answer is yes. A simple kitchen update from laminate counter tops to granite, installing new cabinets, or adding that jetted tub that you’ve always wanted could increase your home’s value considerably. If you’ve made any updates or added any square footage to your home, please contact your Insurance Agent to discuss whether or not you have adequate coverage to cover all the changes that you’ve made.

Disability Insurance, Who Needs It?

Have you ever thought that you'll never need disability insurance?  According to the Social Security Administration, one in four 20-year olds will become disabled and unable to work before they reach the age of 67. In 2012 alone, 650,000 workers became disabled. I don’t know about you but those figures astound me. You may think that Worker's Compensation will cover you if you become disabled, but did you know that 90% of long-term disability claims are due to illnesses and not work-related accidents? You’re never too young to be concerned about disability insurance; if you work, you need it. Long-term disability payments may not replace your income 100% (it’s typically around 60% of your income) but can you imagine if you’re disabled and you have no money coming in?  Even if you have coverage through your employer, you should talk to your Financial Advisor to make sure that you have the appropriate coverage to help protect your future.

Changes to your Home Deed

If you’ve made any changes to the deed to your home, make sure to contact your insurance agent to inform them of the change. Often times we don’t always think to contact our agent if we’ve paid off our mortgage, re-financed our mortgage, added our son or daughter to our deed, got married and added your spouse to the deed, or divorced and removed a name from the deed. Any changes such as these require a change to your Homeowner’s Policy to avoid issues at the time of a claim. If you’ve made changes that affect your deed, please contact your insurance agent to discuss those changes so that your homeowner’s policy can be updated accordingly.

Aggressive Drivers

We’ve all seen them.  They cut people off, run red lights, tailgate, weave through traffic, make rude gestures, and are dangerous to everyone around them.

What can you do when confronted by an Aggressive Driver?

• Attempt to get out of his/her way.
• Do not challenge that person.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Ignore rude gestures.
• Wear your safety belt. It will  protect you in a crash.
• If you simply cannot get away from the aggressor, attempt to drive to the closest police station

Even if someone else is being aggressive towards you, do not react to them so that you can get home safely in the end.

Safety Tips for Walkers

It’s a beautiful day outside (finally!) and you decide to go for a walk to get some exercise and fresh air.  Have you taken the time to go over your safety plan first? Many people just go for a walk and never even think about what they need to do to stay safe. Here are some tips to have a safe walk:

     

• Wear bright/light colored clothing and reflective materials. 
•   Carry a flashlight when walking at night.
•   Cross in a well-lit area at night.
•   Stand clear of buses, hedges, parked cars or other obstacles before crossing so drivers can see you. 
•  Always walk on the sidewalk; if there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
• Stay sober; walking while impaired increases your chance of being struck.
•  Don't assume vehicles will stop; make eye contact with drivers; don't just look at the vehicle. If a driver is on a cell phone, they may not be paying enough attention to drive safely.
• Don't rely solely on pedestrian signals; look before you cross the road. 
• Be alert to engine noise or backup lights on cars when in parking lots and near on-street parking spaces.
• Don't wear headphones or talk on a cell phone while walking so that you won’t be distracted.

Following these few safety tips could save your life. Go out there and enjoy a walk but make sure that you do it safely.

Smoke Detector Safety

Did you know that almost two-thirds of all house fire deaths are the result of having no smoke detectors or improperly working detectors? Many of us install smoke detectors and never give a second thought to maintaining them.

 ·         Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.

·         Save manufacturer's instructions for testing and maintenance because they may have specific instructions for that particular smoke detector.

·         Replace batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. It’s a good idea to make a habit of changing the batteries at the same time each year; such as when you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time, when you set up your Christmas tree, or your birthday. Put it on your calendar, whatever it takes for you to remember to replace the batteries. If an alarm “chirps”, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

·         Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly.

·         If cooking fumes or steam sets off nuisance alarms, rather than taking out the battery to finish your cooking, replace the alarm with an alarm that has a "hush" button. A "hush" button will reduce the alarm’s sensitivity for a short period of time. This will avoid forgetting to reinstall the battery after you’re done cooking.

For more information on smoke detector safety and other fire prevention tips; please go to National Fire Prevention Association’s website at: http://www.nfpa.org.

Long Term Care Insurance

The use of long-term and home health care are on the rise because of medical advances and people living longer. If you think that Medicare will provide coverage for nursing home or at-home care, you could be shocked to know low limited that coverage is. Medicare will pay for a short nursing home stay if you’re hospitalized for at least three days prior to your need for skilled care. Medicare will pay for the first 20 days, but you will be responsible for $148 a day for days 21 through 100. After that, Medicare coverage runs out. Medicare also provides limited coverage for home–health services only when your doctor states that it’s medically necessary. Medicare Supplement Plans may provide more coverage but it is not extensive.  Long-term care costs can cripple a family if they’re not prepared. To prepare for long-term care issues, speak to your Financial Planner for options that are available to protect your future.