Insurance Tip of the Month
These tips are provided to you by our expert staff in an effort to offer insurance advice. These tips may help reduce your risk of loss and injury and might even save you money.
April,2010
Travel Tips
With school breaks approaching, many people are seizing the opportunity to get away. If you’re flying off to your destination, here are some helpful tips:
• Make sure ALL of your luggage pieces have address tags.
• If traveling abroad: Register your travel plans with the State Department at https://travelregistration.state.gov
Registration allows you to record information about your upcoming trip abroad that the Dept. of State can use to assist you in case of an emergency.
• Contact your credit card company. Let them know where you’ll be travelling to ensure credit card purchases (especially in other countries) will not be declined.
• If you’re traveling with gifts, leave them unwrapped for security purposes.
• Beware of short connection times when booking your flights. Weather or mechanical problems may cause you to miss your connections.
• Check your airline’s luggage requirements. Some airlines charge extra for more than one checked bag.
• Avoid wearing heavy jewelry, large belt buckles and clothing with metal buttons, snaps or studs to prevent delays getting though airport security.
• Leave copies of your itinerary and passport with family or friends at home in case your documents are lost or stolen, or if anyone needs to reach you.
• Bring ziplock bags in a variety of sizes. They’re useful for packing snacks, wet laundry, keeping a camera dry, etc.
• Make sure your cell phone is charged, pack the charger, and take important phone numbers with you. Purchase Travel Insurance: to cover everything from trip cancellation to lost baggage and medically expenses.
March, 2010
How To Help Prevent a Home Invasion
A home invasion occurs when criminals force their way into an occupied residence to commit a robbery or other crime.
• Fortify your home with solid core doors, strong locks and security devices on windows. To strengthen locks, secure heavy-duty strike plates with at least four 3” screws.
• Keep all doors and windows in the home and garage locked at all times.
• Install a peephole and use it before opening your door. Make sure your porch light is in a position to help you see persons at your door clearly.
• Never open your door to strangers or solicitors and never rely on a chain-latch. If a solicitor acts suspicious, call the police.
• Keep window shades closed at night. Windows can give a criminal a lot is information about your home’s vulnerability.
• Never make it obvious that you’re home alone. The fewer the occupants, the easier a home invader’s job becomes. Keep extra lights on. Use a TV or radio to create the illusion that more people are in the house.
• Hold a meeting with your family to discuss home security practices. Too often, the weakest part of a home security system is the habits of occupants.
February, 2010
Ice Dams
Snow and ice storms can create a number of potential threats to your home. One of these is ice damming, which occurs in the days after a snowstorm.
Icicles hanging from your eaves, while they may be beautiful, usually indicate that a dangerous ice dam has formed. An ice dam is a build-up of ice that can form at the edge of your roof when snow melts but is blocked from draining. When more snow melts and is trapped behind this ice, the resulting water backup can soak through your roof and cause damage to ceilings, walls and more. The most common causes of ice dams are clogged gutters and insufficient insulation, both of which are easy to remedy.