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Before you embark upon finding renters insurance, you’ll want to have a solid grasp on what it is and why you need it in the first place. Here we’ll give a brief explanation of renters insurance, explain why you need it, and tell you what it covers.

Why Have Renters Insurance

A lot of people have the misconception that, because they rent their home, they are exempt from needing insurance protection. This could not be further from the truth. Insurance is not just for homeowners, and here is why.

• Liability protection. Lawsuits abound in today’s society, and, if one were brought against you, it could mean financial ruin. Accidents happen all the time, and you don’t want to end up financially devastated because of a mistake you made. Liability protection covers inadvertent damage to property or bodily injury that you case. For example, if a fire starts in your apartment because of your negligence, the other tenants could potentially bring legal action against you. Accidental occurrences, like someone tripping over something and hurting themselves in your apartment, are likewise covered.
• Landlord policies do not cover personal belongings. Remember that the average renter has over $20,000 in personal property that a landlord’s policy would not cover. In the event that the items inside your residence were ever damaged, stolen, or vandalized, renters insurance would reimburse you for your losses.
• Renters insurance is Inexpensive. When you compare the cost of renters insurance with what you stand to lose if you don’t have it, it underscores how inexpensive coverage is. There is no one who rents that should not have renters insurance.

What Renters Insurance Covers

Renters insurance policies will specifically state the events against which you are insured. Typically, the major events include:

• Smoke damage
• Vandalism
• Fire
• Lightning damage
• Wind damage
• Theft
• Vehicle/aircraft damage
• Water-related damages

Aside from the aforementioned perils, your renters insurance will also include liability protection, which means you are covered in the event that you cause unintentional property damage or personal injury to another person. Usually, the policy will even cover your legal fees, if necessary. Renters insurance typically also includes medical payments coverage, which covers the medical expenses of a person who does not live at the insured property.

“Our blogs are for general education and information only and may not represent your unique needs. Coverages will vary. Please contact your insurance agent to verify your specific policy terms and conditions.”

Dangers of cheap auto insurance: pitfalls of choosing a cheap car insurance provider.

If you own a car, truck or other motor vehicle, most states require you to purchase Auto Liability insurance, which can protect you and your passengers in the event of a covered loss.

Auto insurance rates are based on many factors and quotes can vary widely. Among the factors that insurance companies often consider when setting rates are age, gender, driving history, and the year, make and model of the vehicle. Additionally, in some states insurers can consider credit histories when providing rate quotes.

If your car is financed, your lender will likely require you carry some form of Comprehensive insurance (sometimes known as “Other than Collision Coverage”). This type of insurance protects you against damage caused by things other than a vehicle collision such as fire, hail, flood, vandalism or theft. Collision insurance is coverage that applies to your vehicle if it is damaged as a result of colliding with another object—another vehicle, for example, or a tree.

Here are some tips to consider while shopping for a quality provider and affordable rates:

• Check with an Independent Insurance Agent. They can provide you with more than just one quote from several companies. And the best part is they work for you, not the insurance company.
• Maintain a clean record: A good driving history is your best defense towards obtaining and maintaining affordable insurance. Obey traffic laws, keep a light foot on the accelerator, and—if you choose an insurer that uses credit scoring in their evaluations—pay your bills on time.
• Bundle your insurance: Many insurance companies sell other types of insurance, such as homeowners, renters or condo insurance, or mechanical breakdown protection. Consolidating your insurance policies with a single provider can create a substantial discount on your premiums.
• Drive an economical car: Insurance rates are partially based on the type of car you drive. If your vehicle has low safety ratings, a high theft rate or a high incidence of vandalism, you may pay a higher premium.
• Don’t give inaccurate answers or try to mislead. Most of the time consumers “think” they know the correct answers in order to keep prices low. In most cases they are costing themselves money instead of saving and it will likely lead to an      uncovered claim if you lie about anything on an application. Be honest and your agent will have your back. If you choose to buy coverage directly from a website or 800 phone number, you have no agent to assist you.
• Listen to your agent. If you don’t know the difference between Bodily injury and Personal Injury, how do you know how      much coverage to buy? Your agent is there to help you make an informed decision about proper and adequate insurance protection. If you don’t understand what they are saying, ask for clarification. If you don’t purchase what they suggest you cannot blame them for not having enough coverage when you have a claim.

“Our blogs are for general education and information only and may not represent your unique needs. Coverages will vary. Please contact your insurance agent to verify your specific policy terms and conditions.”

  

You’re moving out of state; it’s time to pack your bags, get your affairs in order and head off for new horizons. An additional consideration, one that sometimes isn’t top-of-mind, is car insurance. Specifically: do you need to get new car insurance when moving to a new state?

The answer is almost always “yes,” but with a major caveat.

When you move to a new state you usually have between 30-90 days to register your vehicle. Use those months to get your car insurance situation straightened out; do not do it before you move.

That is the major caveat: do not cancel your old car insurance policy before setting up your new one. Do not cancel your policy in one state and then move to another state before getting a new one. You should never drive — especially across state lines — without a car insurance policy. It is illegal, and potentially very costly if you get into an accident.

Indeed, your policy may change after you relocate even if you stay with the same provider. Your new state may have different laws and policies than your old one does, thereby adding or subtracting a few dollars from your monthly bill. You might also be commuting more (or less), which would also affect your premium. In your move you may have also acquired some new assets, including a new vehicle. Additionally, your car insurance provider might not be able to sell insurance in your new state — so it’s definitely best to check in.

When you register your vehicle in the new state must show proof of insurance. And the states must match; if you’ve moved to Florida, when you register your vehicle there you must have valid car insurance in Florida as well. Do not go to register your car without first getting your car insurance set after the move.

“Our blogs are for general education and information only and may not represent your unique needs. Coverages will vary. Please contact your insurance agent to verify your specific policy terms and conditions.”

 

While this is intended as fun and games you may actually have exclusions on your homeowners or renters policy that you are not aware of. Please give a call to discuss ways to properly protect yourself against Uncle Ralph when he chokes on the cranberry sauce or other possible crazy liability claims.

Click the Image above and print for everyone who will be eating at your house this Thanksgiving.

“Our blogs are for general education and information only and may not represent your unique needs. Coverages will vary. Please contact your insurance agent to verify your specific policy terms and conditions.”

A backyard fire pit is great for family gatherings or parties with friends. It is imperative that you safely build and maintain a fire pit to avoid dangers from sparks. At the same time, every homeowner must have liability insurance to assist with payments for personal injuries. Contact your local fire department to determine if fire pits are permitted on private property. If your geographic region allows the building of fire pits, then ask about particular regulations required to comply with the law. Failure to follow your local government’s restrictions could lead to fines.

Look for a place in your backyard that is away from structures such as fences, decks and outbuildings. Choose a location away from shrubs, trees and gardens that can catch on fire due to hot sparks. Do not place a fire pit near utility lines, telephone poles or a neighbor’s property. In addition, you must build the pit in an area that is unaffected by windy weather. Concrete blocks or bricks are a standard support system for a backyard fire pit built on bare dirt or other nonflammable surface. While building the fire pit ring, make sure the support system is attached firmly to hold the metal bowl used to hold logs.

Allow the fire pit ring to sit for a few days to ensure it is safe to use before starting a fire. Begin layering logs in the metal bowl stabilized by the fire pit ring. Carefully light a match to set the starter log burning. As the fire begins, you can place a screen over the flames. It is important to keep clothing and hands away from the flames to avoid burn injuries. Wearing long oven mitts or using tongs while preparing the fire is an excellent method to avoid injury. Always have a bucket of water nearby to douse flames in an emergency such as high winds and flying sparks.

Courtesy of Wiseman Insurance Agency

“Our blogs are for general education and information only and may not represent your unique needs. Coverages will vary. Please contact your insurance agent to verify your specific policy terms and conditions.”

Lured in by the promise of moist, sweet turkey meat, the deep fryer has become an increasingly popular way to make Thanksgiving dinner.  But cooking up a Tom the Turkey in a vat of boiling oil does come with its dangers.  

In fact, the dangers could amount to a national security risk — or at least that is what Department of Homeland Security thinks. Check out the video below “How dangerous can turkey fryers be?”

(We particularly like the cool looking gear that could come in handy if exploding turkeys ever raised the threat risk to red.) 

In all seriousness, every year deep-fryer fires are responsible for five deaths, 60 injuries, the destruction of 900 homes, and more than $15-million in property damage, according to the National Fire Protection Association. 

We tried our own experiments too. As you can see in our video, dropping frozen turkeys into the boiling oil of deep fryers brings on giant flames of fire shooting up 10 feet in the air. Indoors these grease flames can easily catch homes on fire, cause severe burns, and, if nothing else, will ruing your Thanksgiving turkey. 

We spoke to Tommy Steen, a 28-year veteran firefighter with the Rankin County Emergency Operations Center in Brandon, Mississippi, to find out the most dangerous mistakes first-time turkey fryers commonly make. Steen, a strong advocate of the deep-fried turkey’s delicious taste, emphasizes you don’t need to be scared of frying if you know what you’re doing. “99.9% of the time you can pull this off without a problem, as long as you do it right.” 

Here are Steen’s top four “Do Not Do’s” for deep-frying turkeys. 

Don’t Deep Fry a Frozen Turkey Frozen turkeys are full of moisture, and we all know how water and hot oil don’t mix well, so make sure your turkey is completely thawed out before trying to fry it. “Depending on the size of the turkey it could take up to 3 or 4 days in your refrigerator from solid frozen to ready to go in fryer,” Steen suggests. 

Don’t Let Oil Get Too Hot When oil gets around 400-425-degrees it can catch on fire by itself. Steen says to make sure you have a thermometer and are watching the temperature very carefully. “If you see your oil smoking, it’s too hot, you need to back off, back off the heat,” Steen says. Most oils should stay around 350-degrees, but you can check the label to see what the exact temperature limit is for your oil. 

Don’t Use Too Much Oil A common, and potentially disastrous mistake people make is putting too much cooking oil in their pot. “If you overfill your pot with oil and you drop the turkey in, it’s going to spill over, and that can be almost as catastrophic as having a frozen turkey go in because you’re going to get spillage, the oil is going to run down next to the flame on the burner, which could result in a catastrophic fire,” Steen warns. To figure out how much oil you’ll need, Steen suggests putting your turkey in the empty cooking pot, filling it up with enough water to cover it, take the turkey out, and then mark the top of the water line to know how much oil your turkey will need. 

Don’t Deep-Fry Indoors If something does go wrong, the inside of your home is the last place you want flames shooting up in the air. “Don’t do this in your garage, don’t do this on your wooden deck. If you’re going to do it, do it out in your yard away from anything that’s flammable that could catch on fire. And by all means do not attempt to deep-fry a turkey with this type of cooker inside your house,” Steen pleads.

Courtesy of Foxnews.com

“Our blogs are for general education and information only and may not represent your unique needs. Coverages will vary. Please contact your insurance agent to verify your specific policy terms and conditions.”

When zombies, Snookies, and Lady Gagas storm your front door this weekend, don’t fear! Your homeowners insurance will protect you from Halloween mishaps.

Halloween is all fun and games until a trick-or-treater trips, knocks over your jack-o-lantern, and sets your front porch on fire. Fortunately, most homeowners insurance policies cover these common Halloween home mishaps:

Courtesy Houselogic.com

“Our blogs are for general education and information only and may not represent your unique needs. Coverages will vary. Please contact your insurance agent to verify your specific policy terms and conditions.”

Halloween Trick-Or-Treat Liability and Indemnification Agreement

_____________________ (hereinafter referred to as “Trick-Or-Treater”) agrees not to sue, harass, or
trick ____________________ (hereinafter referred to as “Benefactor”) for providing free, delicious
Halloween treats.

Trick-Or-Treater acknowledges and understands that no warranty, either expressed or implied, is
made by Benefactor as to the nutritional content of the goody. This document is offered in order to
duly warn Trick-Or-Treater that unforeseeable risks of harm may lurk in the Tootsie Rolls, Pop Rocks,
Blow Pops, Baby Ruths, chewing gum, Butterfingers, caramel apples, and any or all other
comestibles that may be offered.

Trick-Or-Treater is hereby informed that Benefactor’s snacks may contain any or all of the following:
calories, carbohydrates, sodium (salt), fat, peanuts, sugar, and marshmallow goo.
Trick-Or-Treater acknowledges that overeating may incur risks including, but not limited to, ruining
dinner, tummy aches, nougat stuck in teeth, sticky fingers, and chocolate-stained clothes.
Trick-Or-Treater hereby holds harmless Benefactor from all liability for personal injury suffered by
Trick-Or-Treater — which may be caused, in whole or in part, by any element or agent of Benefactor’s
candies. Trick-Or-Treater agrees that neither he/she, nor his/her parents, little league coaches, or
piano teachers will sue Benefactor or his/her agents for any injury that Trick-Or-Treater suffers, in
whole or in part, from consuming edibles collected from Benefactor’s premises.

This indemnification includes an agreement not to haul Benefactor into court on the basis of:

1) Failure to warn of potential for overeating because candy tastes too good and is provided at no
cost;
2) Failure to provide nutritional information or adequate educational information on exercise options;
3) Failure to state that candy corn is not really corn;
4) Failure to warn the lactose intolerant away from milk duds;
5) Failure to offer “healthier alternatives,” “organic alternatives,” or “lame treats no kid wants”; and
6) Failure to provide information about other venues offering alternative, “healthier” Halloween
goodies.

TRICK-OR-TREATER INDEMNIFIES AND RELEASES BENEFACTOR FROM ALL LIABILITY. TRICK-ORTREATER
HAS READ THIS DOCUMENT AND UNDERSTANDS IT. HE/SHE IS SIGNING IT FREELY AND
VOLUNTARILY AND WITHOUT DURESS, AND AGREES NOT TO APPEAR AS A WITNESS IN SUPPORT OF
JOHN “SUE HAPPY” BANZHAF, ESQ., OR ANY OTHER PERSONS WITH LAW DEGREES WHO
CANNOT OTHERWISE FIND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT, AT ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE.

TRICK-OR-TREATER: ___________________________ DATE:______________________
BENEFACTOR: _____________________________
WITNESS: ___________________________ WITNESS: _________________________________