tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24201481091887457392024-02-06T22:56:21.244-06:00Advantage 1 Insurance ConnectionIndependent insurance agency in central Minnesota sharing and informing consumers about those critical insurance questions!Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-59140810167025061432014-03-17T15:51:00.003-05:002014-03-17T15:51:30.588-05:00How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft<span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">If you frequently make purchases online, or if you use a
credit or debit card while shopping, you know that one of the most common risks
associated with these practices is identity theft. Of course, identity theft
can happen to anybody, even if you don’t use your debit or credit cards while
shopping, but when consumers share important financial information online,
they’re putting themselves at a higher risk. Unfortunately, with online
shopping becoming more and more popular, identity theft continues to become
increasingly common. Luckily, however, there are many steps you can take to
safeguard your identity and prevent yourself from becoming a victim. Apart from
protecting yourself with the proper identity theft coverage, make sure you
follow these tips for keeping your identity safe: <span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Only Carry the
Essentials</span></b><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Though we can all understand the importance of carrying
around a wallet or purse, some people like to carry around their social
security card, all their credit cards, their passport, and sometimes even their
birth certificates. While there certainly are a few situations in which you
would need to present each of these documents to someone, in most scenarios,
it’s overkill. Imagine if you were to lose any of these important documents:
Someone could find it, begin taking out more credit cards in your name, making
unauthorized purchases in your name, and much more. To help prevent this from
happening, it’s important to only carry around with you the personally
identifying items you need the most: like your driver’s license, insurance
card, debit card, and one credit card.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Beware of
Fraudulent Phone Calls and Emails</span></b><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If someone sends you an email informing you that you’re a
distant cousin of a wealthy prince in Zimbabwe, and they need your bank account
information to send you a share of his riches, 1,000 times out of 1,000 it’ll
be a scam. Likewise, if the phone rings and the person on the other line says
they’re a government employee requesting personal information, don’t
necessarily believe them right off the bat, because this could be a scam
designed to rob you of your identity. The only time that you should consider it
safe to give out your personal information is if you were the one who initiated
the call/email, and you know it’s a trusted source. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Shred Unwanted
or Expired Documents</span></b><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Whenever you get something
in the mail, even junk mail, one of the best ways to safeguard your identity is
to shred any of the envelopes or documents that have your name, address, date
of birth, social security number or account </span><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">information on them. Scammers have gone to great extremes
to get personal information, and they won’t think twice about raiding your
trash. In addition, whenever you get a new credit or debit card (or any
important documents, i.e. passports), shred the old and expired ones so that
your name, account numbers, and personal information can’t be easily recovered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Only Shop on
Secure Websites</span></b><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As mentioned before, if you like to participate in online
shopping, you should be aware of the very real dangers that exist. While online
shopping, in and of itself, isn’t inherently bad, you run the risk of becoming
a victim of identity theft whenever you put your credit or debit card numbers
online—especially when you use your debit card. Unlike debit cards, credit card
users are protected by the Truth in Lending Act, which states there’s only a
$50 limit on liability for unauthorized purchases, even after your missing card
has been used. As for debit cards, however, you could be liable for only $50,
but you could quite possibly lose every cent in your bank account too. That
being said, the best way to keep your identity safe while shopping online is to
only shop on websites that have the secure lock symbol at the top of the page
and that start with: “https.” If neither one of these security measures are in
place, do not shop through that particular retailer on the Internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">These are just a few of the things that
you can do to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft. However, the most
important tip to remember is to simply practice common sense – both online and
in the real world. Just keep your personal documents secure and practice safe
shopping habits, and your identity will stay protected.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<o:p><div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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</div>
</o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
</div>
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</div>
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</div>
Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-17589021401113111912014-02-05T14:50:00.000-06:002014-02-05T14:50:30.601-06:00CHECKLIST FOR HOME AND PROPERTY OWNERS
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;">Get your home ready for spring to avoid related damage</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<s><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s><br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<s><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></s></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #660000;">** I am not 100% certain that we are ready for this yet but I am sure hopeful!**</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<s><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></s></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After a long
Midwestern winter – lots of snow, ice, sleet and cold – it’s finally time to
think about opening the windows to capture those cool spring breezes. But
before you throw open the sash, take a few minutes to review this checklist of
things to do to keep your home safe and secure throughout the rainy season.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<b>Tips to help property owners safeguard their homes this spring:</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Make sure your windows
are operating properly</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Check to make sure the mechanisms of your windows – whether they’re
casement, sliding or double-hung – are functioning properly. Lubricate
tough-to-open windows to that opening and closing take little effort. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trim your trees and
bushes</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Now’s the time,
before the buds are on the greenery, to cut back limbs that overhang your gutters
and to trim shrubbery that’s too close to the house. Keeping them away from
your home will help prevent moisture buildup, mold, and storm-related damage. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Make sure spring
rainfall runs away from your house</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Grade your lawn and landscaping beds to direct water away from your
foundation. Foundation leaking and cracks can be extremely costly. Use
downspout extenders to keep drainage as far away as possible.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you have ivy
crawling up your house, now’s the time to cut it back</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. As attractive as ivy is, it’s not
good for your exterior, whether wood, vinyl, brick or stone. Ivy traps and
holds moisture against the home and forms attachments to exterior surfaces that
could degrade their strength and integrity.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fix any leaks you’re
aware of</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Winter often brings
with it ice dams that develop on the shingles over your gutters. If these
caused you problems over the winter, have a professional repair the spot, both
inside and out to prevent further damage from rainwater.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Repair concrete
driveway cracks.</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Winter cold expands concrete and often leads to cracking. Keep yours
from eroding further during this wet, rainy season by patching any spots that
may have erupted over the winter.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These tips will help
you take on spring with confidence that your house and yard are ready for
spring!</span></div>
Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-36406030719017067042014-01-08T11:43:00.001-06:002014-01-08T11:43:15.699-06:00How To Winterize Your Vehicle
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #64d932; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"> </span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Tips for avoiding costly
weather-related repairs</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">When you think of winter,
you might daydream about skiing, sledding, holidays and snowmen. But before you
start jumping into all the fun, make sure your vehicles are able to
take on the demands of harsh weather. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Make Your Car Roadworthy</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Get your car into an auto mechanic for
a top-to-bottom checkup that includes: </span></div>
<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: disc;">
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Brakes</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">. Brake pads and rotors
should be checked for warping, cracking or excessive wear.</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Coolant</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">system</b>. Have your radiator pressure tested and hoses checked for
cracks or bulges that could cause the system to fail. </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Tires</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">. Ask your local tire
retailer to assess your tires’ integrity and replace if needed. At the very
least, you should have your tires rotated to help them wear evenly. If you’re
able to afford special winter tires, make the investment. Winter tires are made
with low temperature-resilient rubber and have deeper treads that do a better
job of gripping snow and ice. </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Windshield</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">wipers</b>. If your blades are more than a year old, they’re probably
leaving a pattern of wear on your windshield and should be replaced. </span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"> </span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">What To Do In An Emergency</span></b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Stranded on the side of the road is a
dangerous and often frightening situation to be in. Carry these items in an
easy-to-reach tote in your back seat or trunk throughout the winter months to
help ensure your safety:</span></div>
<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: disc;">
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">heavy blanket </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">jumper cables </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">flashlight and spare
batteries</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">items to help you get
“unstuck” from a snow bank: tire chains and/or sand (or cat litter), a small
shovel, and a bag of salt to help melt snow and ice</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">first-aid kit</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">lightsticks or reflective
triangles </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">protein-rich snacks like
energy bars</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">extra hat, coat, boots
and gloves</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #595959; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">ice scraper </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">A little effort to get your car in
tip-top shape will give you peace of mind as you set out on wintery roads, and
help eliminate the risk of a costly repair. More importantly, being practical
can help you stay safe!</span></div>
Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-65443364983503400252013-10-03T14:54:00.002-05:002013-10-03T14:54:49.137-05:00An insurance agent's thoughts on the Affordable Care Act AKA ObamacareSo, with the government shutdown, slimdown, or whatever you want to call it, along with the important date of October 1st just passing, the majority of conversations have recently been directed towards the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Many people wonder my opinion, or at least ask for the opportunity to share theirs, so I felt it would be a good idea to post it here and let the word be spread. <br />
<br />
First, is the Affordable Care Act inherently good or bad? I don't believe that many things in life can fall on either side of that but are made up of parts of each, especially when it is created by a multitude of men and women. When asked about it being a good or bad law, I say it is a great theory, with many pieces of law that are beneficial to the masses. <br />
- Should a person who is paying for health insurance be allowed to visit the doctor preventatively and not have to pay for it, definitely. <br />
- With the need for our country to keep up or in some cases catch up in education, many young people are staying in school longer and should have access to their parents' plan until age 26. <br />
- Yet, even greater than these two definite yes answers, is the theory of how the economy in total could benefit if people were more proactive with their healthcare, in many aspects; first if there could be a benefit for people to reduce health related risks, (i.e. fitness membership bonuses based on usage), secondly, the aforementioned preventative benefits, and third, having health insurance available to all purchase so when a minor occurrence did happen they were willing to visit a doctor rather than wait until it was an emergency and more costly. <br />
<br />
This being said, the first option, is made available by many insurance companies now with an insurance policy. The second is an important measure of the law, but could have been implemented on its own mandate. The third, this idea is great, but it fails to take into account the fact that many people are like me, or even worse and extremely stubborn so even with health insurance plans choose not to go to the doctor until it creates more cost than necessary! <br />
<br />
All of this has been the good or possibly neutral points regarding the system, so what could be the bad some people have asked, it sounds great, it will provide "insurance" for everyone and their are government subsidies and tax credits available to help make it affordable, right? Here, in my opinion is the major issue and I will start with the definition of "insurance"! <br />
<br />
<strong>Insurance is the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another in exchange for payment. It is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, <span style="background-color: yellow;">uncertain</span> loss.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
What this is stating is that the purchase of insurance is based upon the premise that there would be a scale balanced between cost of premium and the long term cost of a possible, not guaranteed loss. This being the reasoning behind underwriting and pre-existing condition waiting periods and exclusions. I am going to add a picture here, that may offend some people but it is currently being used on social media as a justifiable reasoning for the act, so I felt I could explain the world of insurance and the act's detriments with the same photo! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70He5yEagl1ETx-uWzkWRX7OY_j0wtXM3IJ1wcQaX70kX38bZVhifyfB-nOPJdXMjsPT9zj-ldBJny_kqNuHkw3UF-MRnMduOchIxTQ7Lk5ILQHweiYc1hvAHL3yFAeRaG9EeC6TVP_k/s1600/I+am+Obamacare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70He5yEagl1ETx-uWzkWRX7OY_j0wtXM3IJ1wcQaX70kX38bZVhifyfB-nOPJdXMjsPT9zj-ldBJny_kqNuHkw3UF-MRnMduOchIxTQ7Lk5ILQHweiYc1hvAHL3yFAeRaG9EeC6TVP_k/s320/I+am+Obamacare.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<br />
Now, I am an extremely empathetic and sympathetic person and have battled internally on the decision to write this post as I feel extreme compassion on this person for her situation. The pragmatic side of me though wants to make sure both sides of how this works are explained and this is a perfect example of something called adverse selection, I will include the definition and explain in additional hypothetical situations after. <br />
<br />
<strong>The term adverse selection describes a situation wherein an individual's demand for insurance (the propensity to buy insurance and/or the quantity purchased) is positively correlated with the individual's risk of loss (higher risks buy more insurance), and the insurer is unable to allow for this correlation in the price of insurance.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
In essence, in this specific example, she could have most likely purchased an individual health insurance plan the day after she was no longer on her parent's health insurance. This would have been prior to her tumors being considered a pre-existing condition and as long as she kept the policy premium paid, the company would have provided her the insurance she needed at the time the loss occurred. Due to circumstances unknown by us in detail, this choice was not made, (in most cases it is due to cost and the attitude that this type of thing won't happen to me) but when there was a certain loss to take place, her need became greater and she was now willing to pay for insurance rather than paying for the medical treatments needed out of her own pocket. <br />
<br />
To compare this situation, let's think of the other types of insurance that the majority of you who will read this have been maintaining for years and see what your reaction would be to adverse selection in those areas.<br />
<br />
1. <strong>Auto insurance</strong> - although a law of most states to carry liability insurance to protect other drivers and their vehicles, many people still do not purchase this insurance, and there is no law that requires the purchase of insurance to protect one's own financial asset or own vehicle (only can be specified by a lender to be required), known as physical damage coverage but yet there are people who aren't required to have this physical damage coverage, that do have it in case their vehicle is involved in an accident and they want to receive compensation in return for that damage, so they pay a premium to do so, not knowing when, if ever they will need it. So, to those people I say, what if, your neighbor, made the decision to not purchase this insurance pulls out of his driveway and smacks right into your vehicle parked on the street. Noticing the large amount of damage on his beautiful vehicle makes his first call to an insurance company to secure insurance and they allow it, and he has paid in $0 premium up front but receives $5,000 from that insurance company to fix his vehicle, while you have been paying your premium for the past number of years and have submitted a minimal claim for a windshield?<br />
<br />
2. <strong>Home Insurance</strong> - Currently the state of Minnesota does not require that you place insurance on your home but for many people they have a mortgage and part of the mortgage clause does require you to do so ( I am hoping you see the trend that the governments requirements for insurance up to this point have been based on only the protection of others, not a requirement to purchase to protect ones self). If the neighbor on the other side of you, had paid off their home and chosen to save the premium money, (some tell us they will save up for a future claim, but rarely do), and not purchase insurance, notices their garbage is on fire right next to their garage, the flames are beginning to heat up the siding, it looks as though it may catch fire as well, and rather than attempt to put out the fire and have minimal damage they could easily repair to their home, they instead go online and purchase insurance for the home, using pictures from the previous week. They then head out for a nice dinner, they have saved about that much money from not paying premiums until now, and when they return to a home engulfed in flames they turn in the claim and rebuild their home. Is that an okay scenario for those of you who are protecting your assets with the risk management tool of insurance?<br />
<br />
3. <strong>Life Insurance</strong> - For the average family, the previous two claims would range from, as mentioned in the first $5,000 or so, and the second around $200,000, but what about this possibility, what if today you entered the doctor's office and he had that difficult discussion with you to tell you that he is terribly sorry but you are facing an extremely rare and speedy disease and within this month you will pass away. You leave, obviously devastated and then remember, that life insurance representative who has been calling you month after month, and how you have blown him off with only a limited savings account and those three little kids and loving spouse at home. They have the mortgage to pay and the rest of their lives to live and you will be leaving them limited financial means. So, you open up your cell phone, looked for that number you constantly push ignore on and call them up, you tell them you would like a $1Million, no make that $3 Million term policy. Please come over this evening and we can sign the papers. You then spend the next two weeks spending every dollar or the limited savings you had created creating memories with your family and then the official policy arrives and that evening in your sleep the disease takes your life. Within a few weeks your family receives their funds and can go on financially while you only made the down payment on the policy, and no other premiums were collected. <br />
<br />
Nearly all of you that will read this will consider these items outlandish, or insurance fraud but are expecting this when it comes to health insurance. If you look deep through the Affordable Care Act it states there are penalties to be paid if a person does not have insurance, but in most scenarios these aren't taken directly from your bank account on a weekly basis but removed from your tax refund if you do receive one. So, people will continue to be uninsured, until they have that terrible pain or hear that bad news from a doctor, and then they will go home, sit on their computer, in many cases, and purchase their health insurance, to then go have all the work done they need. Therein creating the scenario for no insurance company to maintain enough financial strength to pay for the claims that were from a legitimate premium paying policyholder for x number of years without continually increasing premiums to no longer make Affordable Care Act insurance, affordable to anyone. <br />
<br />
Now, in all three of those scenarios, is there a possibility that a person could purchase insurance just before an incident happened and it be legitimate, yes, but it is a minute percentage and I believe that the same is to be said about health insurance and its nuances. There are people that will purchase health insurance today and complete all medical underwriting to only find out the next month they have a cancerous tumor and will create hundreds of thousands of dollars of expense for their insurance company. The issue is that this will become the norm and not the exception if we move forward with our current plan "as is"! <br />
<br />
I 100% agree that our healthcare system and healthcare insurance need to have a reform, their needs to be some allowances made for the child who is no longer able to be on their parents insurance plan but was diagnosed with a lifelong childhood disease, and their needs to be a requirement for preventative visits to be covered by that insurance we are paying for, and their definitely needs to be some pricing control in medicine similar to insurance premiums and how much they can increase annually in certain areas. I do not agree though, that telling everyone they must protect themselves with health insurance, that many will still be unable or unwilling to afford based on their current living choices, and I do not agree, that we can completely eliminate the risk element of insurance and have a successful program. <br />
<br />
For the future financial commitment that these companies have made to the millions of people who are currently paying for their health insurance premiums, the companies will have to increase premiums even further to allow for the inability to properly assess the risk that they are now taking on. This will inhibit growth for many businesses as insurance premiums now increase at a more rapid pace than ever before which creates a greater demand for individual insurance where we are placing the responsibility to secure the insurance they so desperately need but require them to part with a portion of their already limited financial resources. Then the question that is often asked is how can we even enforce it to make sure they are paying their portion? Now that is an entirely different but long dilemma! <br />
<br />
To make this long winded explanation short, the healthcare system needed to be reformed, but in it's current state, The Affordable Care Act, will create anything but affordability and will eventually price out the very people it was originally intended to protect. To you, fellow Americans, please think about this act from all angles, and let's work together to figure out a solution that is economically responsible, empathetic in nature and sound in logic!Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-91747890402170446412013-08-19T19:30:00.001-05:002013-08-19T19:30:06.994-05:00Insurance Premiums Rising? People like this aren't helping! Just like many expenses we all face each and every month while looking at our budget's, insurance premiums do increase typically over the course of time. <br />
<br />
It can be blamed on any number of things and is most often nailed down to increased storm activity along with inflation of replacement of item being insured, but I wonder, if articles like this and those involved aren't more to blame than we think? <br />
<br />
Even if they aren't to blame, they are something to laugh at by being so egregious and wild schemed!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/8-extreme-cases-of-insurance-fraud-1.aspx">http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/8-extreme-cases-of-insurance-fraud-1.aspx</a><br />
<br />
I have to say I find #2 most hilarious just thinking of her spending it all gambling! <br />
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Enjoy and have a great week! <br />
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Remember, at Advantage 1 Insurance, your policy always comes with an agent! <br />
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Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-92190889348803602162013-07-03T06:50:00.001-05:002013-07-03T06:50:16.142-05:00A little safety information on Fireworks!Today I wanted to share a little information I found from the NFPA regarding Fireworks and their danger. To read the full article and associated video please follow the link to <a href="http://www.nfpa.org/fireworks">http://www.nfpa.org/fireworks</a>. Have a fun and SAFE 4th of July.<br />
<h1>
Fireworks</h1>
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Each July Fourth, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks - devastating burns, other injuries, fires, and even death. The <a href="http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/holidays/fireworks/alliance-to-stop-consumer-fireworks">Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks</a> is a group of <a href="http://www.nfpa.org/fireworks#" id="_GPLITA_1" in_rurl="http://i.tracksrv.com/click?v=VVM6MzYxMzI6MjE1NTpoZWFsdGg6YWM0ZDgxN2YzNDczNWU0ZWQ4MjI2NjYyZDVmMzFhZGY6ei0xNDkwLTI1MzEyMjp3d3cubmZwYS5vcmc6NTcxOTI6MTE5NzhmODExMzIzZGRkMzI1NTRiYjdjZjlkMmUzNTM" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="Click to Continue > by CouponDropDown">health</a> and safety organizations, coordinated by NFPA, that urges the public to avoid the use of consumer fireworks and instead, to enjoy displays of fireworks conducted by trained professionals.<br />
<h3>
<span class="headline">NH fire officials, injured family recount fireworks incident </span></h3>
Patrick and Marci Foy, and their daughter, Olivia, were attending a family celebration in Pelham, NH, on July 3, 2012. They were among the more than dozen people injured during a consumer fireworks incident. Watch as the Foy’s give a first-hand account of their experience and the impact it continues to have on their lives. </div>
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<h3>
<span class="headline">Facts & figures</span> </h3>
<ul>
<li><span class="body">In 2011, fireworks caused an estimated 17,800 reported fires, including 1,200 total structure fires, 400 vehicle fires, and 16,300 outside and other fires. These fires resulted in an estimated eight reported civilian deaths, 40 civilian injuries and $32 million in direct <a href="http://www.nfpa.org/fireworks#" id="_GPLITA_0" in_rurl="http://i.tracksrv.com/click?v=VVM6MjgxMTA6MTg6cHJvcGVydHkgZGFtYWdlOjkwNDAwM2Y3OWY5ZDE4ZTliOTAwOWI1Y2EwZTUwYjZhOnotMTQ5MC0yNTMxMjI6d3d3Lm5mcGEub3JnOjA6MA" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="Click to Continue > by CouponDropDown">property damage</a>.</span> </li>
<li><span class="body">In 2011, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 9,600 people for fireworks related injuries; 61% of 2010 emergency room fireworks-related injuries were to the extremities and 34% were to the head.</span> </li>
<li><span class="body">The risk of fireworks injury was highest for children ages 5-19, and adults 25-44, in an atypical year of a very comparable risk across much of the population.</span> </li>
<li><span class="body">On Independence Day in a typical year, far more U.S. fires are reported than on any other day, and fireworks account for two out of five of those fires, more than any other cause of fires.</span> </li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="color: red;">Source: </span></strong>NFPA’s <a href="http://www.nfpa.org/research/statistical-reports/major-causes/fireworks">Fireworks report</a>, by John R. Hall, Jr., June 2013<br />
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<a href="http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Images/safety%20information/Fireworks/typeofinjury.ashx"></a> </div>
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How hot does a sparkler burn? (<a href="http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Images/public%20education/SparklerBurn.ashx">See larger image</a>)</div>
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<a href="http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Images/public%20education/SparklerBurn.ashx"><img alt="" src="http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Images/public%20education/SparklerBurn150.ashx" style="border: 1px solid rgb(165, 165, 165);" /></a></div>
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Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-25629489202869153412013-05-03T15:22:00.002-05:002013-05-03T15:22:32.164-05:00There have been a lot of big auto accidents lately.....For those of you in Central MN, you may have noticed a large number of major auto accidents recently in our region and into the metro area. My theory is it must have something to do with this incredibly long winter creating a greater strain of "Cabin Fever" and greater difficulty with the spring excitement of driving, but the cause of the increase isn't what I want to focus on today, it is to increase awareness that these things do occur. At any given time many of you who will read this could be cruising down the road and happen to be a part of one of these accidents, and what happens if through it all you are found to be liable, either partially or wholly? Does your current auto insurance provide you enough protection for that? <br />
<br />
I don't know the specifics of your policy but thought this article was a good start to getting this to be a top of mind issue:<br />
<br />
<strong>How much coverage do I need?</strong> <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Almost every state requires you to buy a minimum amount of liability coverage. Chances are that you will need more liability insurance than the state requires because accidents cost more than the minimum limits. If you’re found legally responsible for bills that are more than your insurance covers, you will have to pay the difference out of your own pocket. These costs could wipe you out! <br /><br /> You may want to talk to your agent or company representative about purchasing higher liability limits to reflect your personal needs. You may also consider purchasing an umbrella or excess liability policy. These policies pay when your underlying coverages are exhausted. Typically, these policies cost between $200 and $300 per year for a million dollars in coverage. If you have your homeowners and auto insurance with the same company, check out the cost of coverage with this company first. If you have coverage with different companies, it may be easier to buy it from your auto insurance company.<br /><br /> In addition to liability coverage, consider buying collision and comprehensive coverage. You don't decide how much to buy. Your coverage reflects the market value of your car and the cost of repairing it.<br /><br /> Decide on a deductible—the amount of money you pay on a claim before the insurance company reimburses you. Typically, deductibles are $500 or $1,000; the higher your deductible, the lower your premium.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Thanks to the insurance information institute for this basic information regarding how much auto insurance you may need, now I urge you to contact your agent to learn more or if you bought you current policy online, give us a call and let us give you an insurance evaluation for your protection in the future. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask! </span><br />
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Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-22807310034821320022013-04-14T21:23:00.001-05:002013-04-14T21:23:50.871-05:00Summer is coming! We hope!!Although this past week and by the looks of it, the one ahead, have been and continue to be more like mid January than mid April, summer will have to show up eventually. Even if it is for just a week or so in July! <br />
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So, my advice for this week while you are angry at the snow and ice continuing to be present this late in the year, convince yourself that summer is much closer and call to talk to your insurance agent about having your summer toys properly insured. <br />
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What could make it feel more like summer than making sure that beautiful big pontoon where you and all the kids make so many memories is protected properly? Okay, other than actually being out on it! Or, what could get you more excited for the wind blowing in your face while enjoying a windy road cruise on your motorcycle, than making sure it is insured and ready to go? <br />
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Okay, I am making the insuring of these items sound much more exciting than it may be, but it is extremely important, especially this time of the year when within a few days it may be nice enough to have them out and you don't want to wait to call your insurance agent then! So, I recommend, if you don't have your insurance set up for your summer toys, to give us a call this week and get it done, and talk to your agent about how that insurance can be left in place all year long as the companies are already adjusting the premium for the high usage times anyway. <br />
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Although it may seem far off if you look outside tonight, summer is coming soon and you want your toys ready to go! Make sure they are street or water ready and the insurance is in place! Now is the time!Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-81612385038546619152013-04-08T11:46:00.001-05:002013-04-08T11:46:13.097-05:00April is Distracted Driving Awareness MonthBeings April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month I wanted to share a blog started by one of our carriers in relation to this topic. <br />
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This information was shared by West Bend Mutual Insurance and is staggering to think about:<br />
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<em>Did you know that the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration
designated April as “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month”? For my
daughter Hannah, April will be an exciting month because she will turn 16 and is
scheduled to get her driver’s license. While my wife and I are looking forward
to getting some of our free time back (no more chauffeuring), we are concerned
about her safety and distracted driving.
</em><br />
<em>Distracted driving is a serious and growing problem in our country.
Distracted driving, as defined by dictionary.com, means “driving a vehicle while
engaging in an activity that has the potential to distract the driver from the
task of driving.” According to DISTRACTION.GOV, the official US government
website for distracted driving, 3,331 people were killed in 2011 by distracted
drivers. In addition, 387,000 people were injured. This equates to 9 people
killed and 1,060 people injured per day! Inexperienced drivers under the age of
20 are the most likely to be involved in these crashes.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
Please spread the word with your friends and family that distracted driving is not worth it and let's work together to provide safer roads for our newly licensed driver's as well as awareness how they can help keep the roads safe for all! Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-18101660190161865952013-03-11T07:09:00.001-05:002013-03-11T07:17:51.908-05:00Are you prepared for spring? <p dir=ltr>Here is an article notifying the public about flood insurance for this spring, are you prepared? </p>
<p dir=ltr>The state Department of Commerce is warning Minnesotans to review whether they might need flood insurance as winter heads toward spring.The agency points out that flood damage is not covered under a standard homeowner's insurance policy.Warming temperatures along with heavy snowfall totals in February and early March make flooding a strong possibility in many parts of the state.Flood insurance is a special policy offered through the National Flood Insurance Program. Consumers can check with their insurance agent to see if it's available through them.Flood insurance has a 30-day period after purchase before it becomes effective. Homeowners should also be aware whether their home falls in a 100-year floodplain or a 500-year floodplain. However, that is not a requirement in order to purchase the insurance.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Give us a call today to let us help you plan for spring. <br><br></p>
Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-15914508393887377102012-12-28T13:24:00.001-06:002012-12-28T13:24:33.977-06:00End of year or New Year's Eve Party Plans?Hey everyone, amazingly enough another year is coming to a close and it is time to finalize the plans for either this weekend or Monday night. (Or for some, the party through the entire thing!) These times are always great for celebration with family and friends and can typically be completely enjoyable without incident or tragedy with a little thought and preparation. <br />
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First of all, be smart with who you are serving alcohol; I know that many times parents feel it is okay to serve alcohol to minors in their own home but my personal advice is this isn't a great practice, not considering the legal aspect but also from an insurance aspect as if an incident may occur due to the illegal service, most, if not all homeowners policies exclude acts that are performed illegally that result in liability claims. <br />
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Secondly, be smart with the amount of alcohol served! If you are allowing someone to consume more than their fair share of alcohol, it may cause problems with their attitude first off, but then it may create liability issues as well! If someone does happen to drink too much at your home, make sure to help arrange a designated driver, taxi or even let them spend the night. <br />
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This time of year is meant to celebrate the past and be excited about the future, make the right choices so that it is purely a celebration! <br />
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From the staff at Advantage 1 Insurance, have a SAFE and Happy New Year's Eve and get ready for an exciting 2013! Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-51009685228758790032012-12-14T15:26:00.001-06:002012-12-14T15:26:56.350-06:00Winter driving troubles! (Especially around the holidays!)<p>Last weekend South Dakota and Minnesota experienced a snow storm that reminded me of ones from my childhood! Lots of snow and wind and many nearly impassable roads. <br>
Now, we all know the dangers of driving during these storms, but what about afterwards? This week has given us mild temps to induce slushy roads and large gravel and sand covered snow piles along roadways and in the middle of intersections, along with people driving the speed limit or greater to get all their holiday errands done. This creates a large number of a really ugly color tan vehicles with very minimal visibility driving at high speeds with visions of sugar plums and credit card bills in their head! It is a disaster waiting to happen! So please take extra care of keeping your windows clean and extra caution watching out for others and their bad habits! <br>
Stay safe this holiday season and arrive at your destinations safely!<br><br></p>
Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-53023811064987457552012-11-30T13:36:00.002-06:002012-11-30T13:36:38.389-06:00Are we paying too much for insurance? Part 2So, last week I started with the discussion of the price of homeowner's insurance and it's increases in the last couple of years. This week I wanted to see if I could help adjust perspective even more and possibly take a new approach to where the trouble may be. <br />
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In 1970 the median income was $7,630 while a new car was $3,900, the average cost of a new home was $23,400 and the average cost to insure that home was $104. Meaning the ratio of income was 32.6% of the average new home value and the insurance expense to insure that home was 1.36% of the annual income. While the ratio most related to our focus of discussion, insurance to home cost was .45%. <br />
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In 1980, the numbers changed to $16,523, $7,210, $64,600, and $179 respectively. Bringing the ratio of income to home cost down to 25.6%, the insurance expense to income to 1.08% and the insurance to home cost ratio to .278%. This 10 year gap has created basically a double in income and care value but a triple in home price and only a 75% increase in insuring that home. Now, I understand that as time goes on and the underwriting process and the law of large numbers comes in to play, insurance can get better about predicting the process and actuaries are able to set a most reasonable rate for the insurance, but if the gap of building a home and the gap to protect the home in case of needing to be rebuilt gets too wide, eventually it will cause trouble somewhere.<br />
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Skip ahead 30 years, 2010, incomes are $48,340, cars are $29,217, homes are $221,800 and insurance is costing $807. This now means the ratio of income to home cost is 21.8%, insurance to income is 1.67%, and the insurance to home cost is now up to .365%, (at a time when some of the largest natural disasters have accumulated across the nation and world). So, here in lies my question, are we paying too much for insurance or is something else out of balance creating the perspective that we are paying too much for insurance?<br />
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For most people, the purchase of a home or car does not happen monthly or even yearly, and no matter how money they are being paid, the checks never seem to be enough or the increase of that check from year to year is not enough. Although, they typically see an insurance bill monthly or at least annually and the reminder that the rate changes is more visible. In reality though, looking back at these numbers, most things are on a somewhat even pace, where insurance lagged behind in cost at one time it has had to make up ground to keep companies in business for those who have their policy with them and those future needs. But, home costs have seemed to increase at a greater margin than these other expenses, and additional 200% increase in the past 40 years. And in that timeframe, lending institutions directed by the governments plans have helped people purchase those homes at a much lower income to home value ratio.<br />
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So, where is the problem truly at, who is continuing to push it forward and how can we resolve it to help keep things in balance for the future growth and development of our economy and nation? I would love to hear your thoughts and discussion on this matter! <br />
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Until next time, remember, at Advantage 1 Insurance, every policy comes with an agent! <br />
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Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-36880715840350633942012-11-25T17:48:00.001-06:002012-11-25T17:48:42.742-06:00Are we paying too much for insurance? Part 1<br /><br />In the past year or so have you received your homeowners insurance renewal and felt flabbergasted by the increase? If so you are not alone and I hope to share some information I have dug up to hopefully provide a new perspective into the situation rather than just telling you that, "the insurance companies are losing money due to recent disasters and need to increase premiums." Although this may be true, many people feel the same as this lady who says,<br /> <br />"I don’t care what anyone says I should not have to pay more because of someone else in Florida or elsewhere! The rate we each pay should be directly tied to the services we actually USE! If we had no claim – then there is NO increase! If we have a claim then we receive an increase with a regulated max increase amount based on a sliding scale rate. The higher the claim is the higher your increase will be. The insurance industry needs a major overhaul in their premium structure. I am from Minnesota and with American Family. I started with them in Dec. 2010 for $1500 and now I just got my premium notice and it’s $1787 with no claims! I say B.S. I will start shopping and I will do it every year if I have to."<br /><br />This although sounds great to the person who does not have a recent claim, to the person who has a claim it then becomes a burden because the sliding scale of premium would need to be so drastic to cover the costs of the claim that no homeowner could pay the premium resulting from turning in a claim. <br />
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The mere definition of insurance is the transferring of risk from one party (the homeowner in this case) to another (the insurance company) in exchange for payment. The insurance company utilizes the law of large numbers in their statistical analysis by pooling premium money together to minimize premium cost as much as possible so that they can pay out possible claims and in the event that the statistics create a shortfall of premium written to expenses paid for they are required by government to maintain a reserve of funds to make good on their promise of payment. <br />
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In reality, if the government didn't regulate reserve funds, and if your insurance company is paying out large sums of money to pay for others within the "pool" and they don't raise the rates to maintain funding for future claims, at the time you do have a disaster occur to your home there very well may not be funds available to make that payment to you. So, although you may not have been the benefactor of an insurance payout recently, if the rates don't increase some, there may not be money available when it is your time of need. <br />
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Now, being an independent agency, we definitely agree it is worth taking a look at your situation and making sure you are covered well for the most reasonable premium, but it's possible that the rates need to be increased to protect you in your future insurance needs. I will expand further on my research and thoughts in future postings so please share any questions or thoughts you may have so I can address those as well.... until then, remember, at Advantage 1 Insurance, every policy comes with an agent! Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-65776373730423841992012-10-05T16:56:00.001-05:002012-10-05T16:56:45.253-05:00Do you ever have time to work "on" your business?For years my passion has been small business and entrepreneurship. I have always admired the business owners / farmers / self-employed who have taken great risks to grow a business while supporting a family and maintaining as sane of a lifestyle as possible. For those of you that are business owners or have worked closely with one, you understand that although you may be able to take off on a Tuesday afternoon to enjoy one of your passions but then you also may get a call at 1 AM because your client / customer needs you right then and there and beings each and every customer is your livelihood, you drag yourself out of bed and take care of the issue. (Not saying that all business owners are available at 1 AM for clients, but the fact is they are always on call 24/7 working, planning and worrying about their business!) <br />
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The problem though is something I hear over and over in talking with business owners, there is never enough time to work "on" your business, as you are always working "in" your business, making sales, solving problems and just handling the daily activities. Meaning that many times business owners spend so much of their time making today happen they rarely have time to plan and lay out their future needs and goals along with ways to adapt to those needs. <br />
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Due to this, and the experiences we have had at Advantage 1 Insurance in the past two weeks: 1.making a physical move to a new office in our Sauk Centre location and all that has come with that as far as bumps in the road, 2. implementing a new client management software system so we can work more efficiently for our clients, which too has some hiccups in just the learning curve of a new way to do things internally, I have to wonder, does this saying not only mean there are difficulties planning for the future but also in taking care of the details that, although effect business, aren't direct correlations to the business itself? <br />
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For example, in our move from one location to another in Sauk Centre we moved from a building lease to a building owned, well obviously that changes the need for a multitude of things but being I think about insurance constantly it made me focus there. No longer can we just insure the property we have inside we have to make sure the building is insured as well. Yet, being involved in the transition of moving everything over, and just making sure we didn't forget anything, I was able to see how easily we could have forgotten to notify our agent about that major change. <br />
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Secondly, in regards to our software change, this time it was minimal cost for local equipment, but still very time consuming in making sure everything was / is set up properly. If this would have been a purchase of equipment / property to make our efficiency increase, it may have increased our need for insurance coverage again and with all that has been on all of our minds, it again could have easily been overlooked to make sure that happened. <br />
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What am I trying to say? To all of you, business owners, farmers and everyone out there, life is busy, and as you make changes in your life / business, they will take up your time and make it easy to forget about the details of making sure you have insurance coverage for all of your needs that have changed, so please, contact your current agent, or if you just want another opinion, give us a call, we offer a free no obligation consultation with respect to your time to help you work "on" your business!<br />
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By the way, make sure you check us out on Facebook to see pictures of the new building and also please share this and stop by on October 11, 2012 from 4-6:30 PM for our open house in Sauk Centre. <br />
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Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-24183040071877373662012-09-14T12:51:00.002-05:002012-09-14T12:51:20.300-05:00Insurance premiums can increase, but what can you do about it?A common phone call to one of our offices is that of either a current insured or someone looking for quotes who mentions that in the past 4-5 years their homeowner's insurance premium has increased dramatically. <br />
I could explain all the differing reasons that the rates have increased but what people really want to know is, "what can I do to keep my premium as low as possible" so I would like to pass along some tips. <br />
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<h2>
Get the Coverage You Need Without Paying More Than You Should</h2>
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Have you noticed that the cost of your homeowner's insurance coverage has increased significantly over the last several years? Policies that cost $325 just a couple of years ago are often two to three times that amount now, putting the squeeze on many homeowners' budgets. Here are ten ways to minimize the cost of your homeowner's insurance.<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Raise Your Homeowner's Insurance Deductible</b>Your deductible is the amount of risk you agree to accept before the insurance company starts paying on a claim. With the cost of homeowner's insurance escalating, it no longer makes sense to let the insurance company assume all the risk. If you have a low deductible of $50 to $100, consider raising it to at least $500 to $1,000. You could save up to 25% on your premiums. Some companies are offering deductibles equal to 1% of the insured value of your home ($1,000 deductible on a $100,000 home). It that seems like a lot of money to pay in the event of a claim, consider this: the trends in homeowner's insurance are for insurance companies to severely penalize customers who file one or more small claims. Often the premiums are jacked way up or the policy is cancelled, and when the customer looks elsewhere for coverage, they may find it costs them three times what they were paying. We should change our perception that insurance of any type is intended to cover all of our expenses when we incur a claim. Those days are over. Think of insurance as risk sharing. How much risk are you willing to assume? <br />
<li><b>Combine Your Homeowner's Insurance and Auto Insurance Policies</b>Consider buying your homeowner's and auto insurance policies from a company that offers both. Some companies offer discounts of 5 to 15% if you buy both types of coverage from them. Check around and make sure the price is lower than buying the two policies from two different companies before making this move.<br />
<li><b>Ask About Other Homeowner's Insurance Discounts</b>Make sure you're receiving all the discounts for which you're eligible. For example, discounts exist for smoke detectors, deadbolt locks, security or fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers in the home, etc. If you're over 55 and retired, you may qualify for an additional 10% discount.<br />
<li><b>Don't Buy Homeowners's Insurance Coverage You Don't Need</b>It makes no sense to buy insurance to protect yourself against risks you are unlikely to encounter; for example, earthquake coverage in a non-earthquake zone, or a jewelry floater to your policy if you don't own expensive jewelry.<br />
<li><b>Make Your Home a Better Insurance Risk</b>Ask your insurance agent what you can do to make your home less expensive to insure. Making changes that reduce the risk of damage in windstorms and other natural disasters is one example. Another is updating old wiring or heating systems, which may reduce your risk of fires and therefore reduce your premiums.<br />
<li><b>Know What Your Homeowner's Insurance Policy Covers</b>Your home is your biggest investment. Make sure it's adequately protected from risks you cannot afford to cover yourself and that it covers any home improvements you've made, major purchases, and increased costs of rebuilding.<br />
<li><b>Keep Your Insurance Coverages Up To Date</b>Once a year, before your homeowner's insurance policy is due to renew, dig out the current policy, read through all the details, and call your insurance agent to discuss any changes in your situation that occurred during the year. <br />
<li><b>Avoid Risks That Insurers Shun</b>Insurers are shying away from some risks. For instance, owning certain types of dogs (Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Pit Bulls), can limit or void your policy. Owning a swimming pool or a trampoline can increase your cost of coverage. Read all the fine print in your policy under the "Conditions and Coverages" sections so you know all the things that are excluded from coverage. You may opt to buy additional coverage to protect yourself from certain exposures.<br />
<li><b>Improve Your Credit Score</b>Insurance companies are increasingly using credit information to price insurance policies. Don't have too many open credit accounts, don't charge close to the limits on your credit cards, and pay all your bills on time to keep your credit score healthy.<br />
<li><b>Shop Around for Homeowner's Insurance</b>Shop around for homeowner's insurance rates but keep in mind that you may be receiving a longevity discount if you've been with your current insurer for several years. Typical discounts are 5% if you've been with the company for three to five years, and 10% for six years or more. Get quotes from three agents, and take any longevity discounts with your current insurer into consideration when you compare prices. Your state insurance department may have rate comparison information available for your state. See <a href="http://www.consumeraction.gov/insurance.shtml">www.consumeraction.gov/insurance.shtml</a> Before you switch insurers, check out their financial health at <a href="http://www.ambest.com/">www.ambest.com</a> or <a href="http://www.standardandpoor.com/">www.standardandpoor.com</a>.</li>
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My advice is to speak with your agent; if you don't have a local agent, give one a call and dive into your situation. <br />
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Insurance agents typically get flack for their careers but are truly professionals looking out for the best of the client, <strong>if yours isn't doing so, it is time to find one who will!</strong> <br />
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But, just to show we have a slight sense of humor too, here is some at our expense!<br />
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<em>A woman was in the hospital after feeling very ill. The doctor says to her, “I have some bad news for you. You only have three months to live.”</em><br />
<em>“Oh that’s terrible,” the woman sighs, “what am I going do?”</em><br />
<em>The doctor replies, “Marry an insurance agent.”</em><br />
<em>“Will I live longer?” asks the woman. ”</em><br />
<em>No,” replies the doctor, “but it will SEEM longer.”</em>Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-71437190773746761362012-09-07T15:53:00.003-05:002012-09-07T15:55:33.759-05:00Why go independent? It became obvious to me today at our Saint Cloud Chamber Connection meeting that many times when I introduce myself I say that I am "an independent insurance agent working for Advantage 1 Insurance" and I realized it didn't sound that great and also meant very little to most people I tell! So, what do I mean by being and independent agent and what benefit is that to you the insurance customer? Here is a great article that I felt explained it quite well! <br />
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<img alt="Why Choose An Independant Agent" src="http://mn.iiaa.org/images/why_choose.gif" /><br />
<div align="left">
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Some people think it doesn't really matter where
they buy their insurance. But this misconception could be costing them money,
service and protection. Buying insurance isn't like buying bread or milk.
Insurance is an important safety net for your family, your home, your car or
your business. Don't treat the purchase lightly!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">There is a difference in where you buy your
protection. Many people don't realize there are three sources for
insurance:</span><br />
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<center>
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">1.</span></td>
<td><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Captive Agents, who can sell you the insurance of
only one company.</span></td></tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">2.</span></td>
<td><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Telephone Representatives, who can offer you the
insurance of one company, and only on the telephone.</span></td></tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">3.</span></td>
<td><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Independent Insurance Agents</b>, who represent
an average of eight insurance companies, and research with these firms to find
you the best combination of price, coverage and
service.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
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<span style="color: #6e0036; font-family: verdana;"><b>Your Independent Insurance
Agent:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Is a licensed professional with strong customer
and community ties.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Gives you excellent service and competitive prices
because your agent can access the insurance coverage from more than one
company.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Unlike other agents, is not beholden to any one
company; thus, you don't need to change agencies as your insurance and service
needs change.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Assists you when you have a claim.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Is your consultant, working with you as you
determine your needs.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Offers you a choice of insurance plans and
programs.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Is a value hunter who looks after your pocketbook
in finding the best combination of price, coverage and service.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Offers one-stop shopping for a full range of
products-home, renters, auto, business, life and health.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Can periodically review your coverage to keep up
with your changing insurance needs.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Treats you like a person, not just another
number.</span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Customer satisfaction is the key to an independent
agent's livelihood. So, serving you is your independent agent's most-important
concern.</span></li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<center>
<span style="color: #6e0036; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>There Is A
Difference!</b></span></center>
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At Advantage 1 Insurance, we want to be YOUR agent, so give us a call and see what WE CAN DO FOR YOU!</div>
Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-22912384553765830752012-08-17T17:09:00.002-05:002012-08-17T17:09:38.671-05:00Why the need for renter's insurance you ask?<div class="textHeadLrg">
Seeing all of these college kids and their parents roaming the area lately scooping up all of the "necessities" before moving in to their respective apartments or dorms has me wondering about all of that money spent to fill each of those apartment complexes. How many of you who live in or know someone who lives in an apartment? I would dare to guess every one of us at least knows someone living in one, are their belongings insured? Please read on as an insurance agent tells his story of why renter's insurance is so important and give us a call if you may need it or please share this with those who may!</div>
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Why Buy a Renter's Insurance Policy?</div>
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<td align="left" valign="top" width="10%"><a href="http://www.iiaba.net/Experts/BioThompsonDavid.htm"><img alt="Click here for David's bio..." border="0" src="http://www.iiaba.net/vu/Media/Photos/Faculty/ThompsonDavid.jpg" title="Click here for David's bio..." /></a><br />
<span style="color: #646464; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">David Thompson</span></td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="10"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.iiaba.net/vu/Media/Graphics/Structural/Spacer10X10White.gif" title="" /></span></td>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Abstract</span></strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>On October 4,
2009, while I was visiting my parents in Vero Beach, at 4:32 a.m. my cell phone
rang and the caller ID showed it to be my daughter. I knew it was not going to
be a good call at that time of day. She said, “Dad, my apartment building just
burned to the ground.” She lost almost everything she owned. But here is the
GOOD news....</div>
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<h5 class="Arial10">
On October 4, 2009, while I was visiting my parents in Vero
Beach, at 4:32 a.m. my cell phone rang and the caller ID showed it to be my
daughter. (It was not going to be a good call at that time of day!) She said,
“Dad, my apartment building just burned to the ground.” She lost everything she
owned, except for a small overnight bag she had with her; she was at her
boyfriend’s house for the weekend…but I don’t want to talk about that!</h5>
<h5 class="Arial10">
Fortunately, all residents (and pets) got out alive. As she
hung up with me that morning, her last words were, “Thank gosh my Dad is an
insurance nerd!” Just 52 days earlier, she had purchased (at her Dad’s
directive) an HO-4 policy, paying right at $230 a year for $30,000 of coverage
on her contents.</h5>
<h5 class="Arial10">
See the photos below which show the fire that morning, as well
as the end result of her shopping experience to replace her belongings. Her HO-4
carrier paid a bit over $28,000 for this loss. Not a bad deal at all…pay $230
and get $28,000 back.</h5>
<h5 class="Arial10">
At times, I still can’t believe that my daughter had a total
loss fire. (It’s always supposed to be someone else.) Fortunately, she had the
proper insurance, which allowed her to put her life back in order with very
minimal disruption.</h5>
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Folks, it can—and does—happen to us, as well as to our
customers. It’s not always someone else. Use this experience as a selling point
when someone asks you, “Why do I need renter’s insurance?” </h5>
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I have taken away several lessons from this event:</h5>
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It’s not always someone else who has the fire.</h5>
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Insurance does not prevent losses like this; it makes them
easier to deal with.</h5>
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The $30,000 of contents coverage she had seemed like double
what was needed when we bought the policy. The claim paid nearly the policy
limits. Contents add up fast.</h5>
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<h5 class="Arial10">
Documentation is key; she had none. The day after her fire I
took a digital camera and went through my house, taking over 180 photos of my
“junk.” I have those photos stored at four different locations, over two
computers, an online service, and at the house of a family member in another
state.</h5>
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The $230 my daughter spent on an HO-4 is a better deal than
any BBQ I have ever had…and that’s a darn good deal!</h5>
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<strong>Photos:</strong></h5>
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.iiaba.net/eprise/main/VU/NonMember/HO4-01.jpg" title="" /><br />Fire department still working at
5:00 a.m.</h5>
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.iiaba.net/eprise/main/VU/NonMember/HO4-04.jpg" title="" /><br />My daughter’s bedroom…what’s left
anyway!</h5>
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.iiaba.net/eprise/main/VU/NonMember/HO4-03.jpg" title="" /><br />The back of the complex.</h5>
<h5 class="Arial10">
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.iiaba.net/eprise/main/VU/NonMember/HO4-02.jpg" title="" /><br />What’s left the next day. It was
a two-story building before the fire.</h5>
<h5 class="Arial10">
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.iiaba.net/eprise/main/VU/NonMember/HO4-05.jpg" title="" /><br />My daughter, 90 days later,
finishing up her shopping! (Where did that sign come from?)</h5>
Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-52858870054408384642012-07-30T09:46:00.001-05:002012-07-30T09:46:43.480-05:00Independence and urgency, good or bad?For the majority of our lives we hear things from authority figures that make us want to do things on our own and as quickly as possible. Where has this gotten us as a society? In my opinion, in trouble! It has created a society, (myself included) that craves instant gratification and an extreme desire to do things on our own. <br />
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20-30 years ago many consumers would walk into a business of something they were either needing or wanting and be able to ask for recommendations from the employees or owners of that business and learn about the products they were looking at, as well as find out the solution that would best fit their needs. They were then able to purchase the item / service with knowledge and understanding. In some instances the product wouldn't be available for immediate pickup and they would have to wait for it to be shipped before they could enjoy it, and in other instances they wouldn't have all of the money to make the purchase immediately so they would either save up, or place the item on "layaway" until they could finalize the purchase. People understood that they couldn't possibly be experts on everything and that some things took a little bit of patience to get so they would have to plan and prepare their time and finances. <br />
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Now, I am sure that some business owners or employees took advantage of this "naive" way of consumers to shop but most likely a lower percentage than what we are giving credit. So, what happened to Main Street America, quality capitalism and patience? My thoughts, distrust, negativity and a push for quickness rather than greatness!<br />
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What we really have is a chicken / egg first conundrum. I don't know for certain whether people began distrusting businesses first, creating a need for order takers rather than experts, or if employees business owners began to deliver less quality service in exchange for more speed, but the result has been a move of the pendulum to a polar opposite extreme creating personal isolation and cynicism. People now make many purchasing decisions online, with "experts" weighing in with reviews and their opinions of products / services. <br />
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Now, I have read and will continue to read many of these reviews, but I take them all with a grain of salt, as I know how easy it can be to rant and rave about something while sitting in front of the computer, whether good thoughts or bad. (Some of you may say this brings out honesty, and I partially agree, but partially I say it creates an environment of anonymity where people say things out of haste rather than logic or thought.) <br />
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What America and the world truly needs is something that has always been a struggle but can be accomplished in purchases of goods and services, a balance. Everyone should become educated buyers, do a little research and help create better customer service by asking questions about things, but don't think because you read it online that you are now an expert and can eliminate the need for any local expert's knowledge. This is especially true in industries such as finance, law, medicine and insurance. These are industries that cannot be made into commodities as an "off the shelf" set of products only based on price and speed of delivery. I know at this point you may say to yourself that of course I would say that as I am looking to profit from your business, but trust me on this, those companies spending millions of dollars across the Internet aren't just looking to help you and delivering charity. They have made decisions to move their business model to make the most profit with the least expense for them, not based on needs, but on wants of consumers.<br />
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So the question is, because you think you can avoid looking incompetent by asking any "person" questions, and receive your purchase in 15 minutes or less, does it make it a good purchase, or just an easy way out? <br />
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Let's all work together to be better, as a community of people. The Internet is intended to make a smaller world, for people to have the ability to communicate with people many miles away, to have the opportunity to learn more about people, products and the world, but not to create isolation and self-pride. <br />
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The world at large wants a better life and better communication abilities, yet is hiding behind your computer screen looking up all the advice you think you need better than taking an hour to walk across the road to the neighbors porch and just visit about life and the experiences that have made you who you are and your neighbor to share theirs? <br />
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I would love to hear your thoughts! <br />
<br />Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-49915122772112872332012-07-16T14:28:00.001-05:002012-07-16T14:28:26.925-05:00Financial Security - How Secure is it?Hey everyone, my apologies for the huge lapse of time between my last post. No excuses here, just hadn't gotten to it and then I allowed guilt of being so late to kick in for another couple weeks and hold me off! Procrastination is definitely an issue when it comes to things that are not "required" on a daily basis if there are other things to do (and who is anyone kidding, when isn't there other things to do?)!<br />
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Speaking of procrastination, that brings up a nice topic I feel should be shared and discussed! As every one of us has heard, I am sure more than once, one big key to a strong financial future is starting as soon as possible, and I don't think they mean after buying everything you want, but as soon as you start making any money, to budget it and begin to utilize it as a tool for your future. I find this fact best illustrated in this recent newsletter I recieved regarding kickstarting your financial future, best depicted by this point:<br />
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<strong> Your assets grow through compounding – </strong>It may seem basic, but it's worth repeating – investing early makes it possible for you to double your money several times in your lifetime, thanks to the power of compounding. The longer funds are left to grow, the greater the result. To accumulate $1 million by age 65 (with a 7 percent rate of return), a 25-year-old investor could save $381 per month, while a 35-year-old would need to save $820 a month, a 45-year-old would need $1,920 a month and a 55-year-old would have to put away $5,778 a month to reach the same amount.<br />
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Now, this is a very obvious way to see that by procrastinating can be an expensive direct cost to you and your family, such as waiting the ten years from 25-35 will cost you over $110,000 more to reach the $1 Million dollar mark, now that is quite a penalty for waiting and is easily visible as a direct expense to you. <br />
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Now think about this, what if at age 25 you begin to save that $381 / month and are doing this faithfully to age 40, when tragedy strikes and you accidentally run a red light because the sun is in your eyes and you cause an accident in which 3 people perish. The average cost of a fatal crash is just over $1 Million / per fatality, and now you are responsible for $3 Million in liability damages. Do you have the proper insurance in place to protect you and your assets or will your financial security now be taken from you indirectly as a result of not being correctly insured? (I know in your mind right now you are thinking that this is a harsh way to prove a point.) I, in no means want to use scare tactics to prove a point, but do want you to understand that accidents happen, and if this were the case, would the auto insurance you have protect you and the assets you have worked so hard to build? <br />
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I am not saying it won't, but from experience, if you aren't sure that it will, you should have someone take an evaluation of your insurance for you. Even if you haven't started saving towards that $1 Million, it is important to have the right security in place. Don't procrastinate getting this done as accidents happen everyday and being improperly insured can create insecurities where you were sure you were doing the right thing and building your financial future. Please, share your thoughts on this topic and whether or not you know you would be protected in this type of situation.Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-55546320386201864762012-05-18T10:59:00.001-05:002012-05-18T11:05:36.371-05:00How do you define VALUE?Being a "young" (although we are no longer in our twenties) family, my wife and I, raising our three children, typically try and be thrifty when it comes to buying groceries to feed our ever growing brood, (not in number, just size). So, when we are cruising down the cereal aisle, with all of the sugary bright colored boxes all standing from 6 inches to 3 feet in height and the boring and mundane boxes up above, all of the prices seem outrageously expensive, (although less than the average trip to Caribou or Starbucks, but that is another topic) we like to look for the store brand or "off brand" cereals with oddly sounding yet similar meaning names to the name brands! Typically these less costly cereals save between 1 to 5 cents per ounce of cereal, or a dollar or two per package at best. So, being the thrifty shoppers we are, we seem to continually load up a couple boxes or bags of cereal into our cart each week to supply breakfast during our rush around mornings. <br />
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Now, if this is a brand or even flavor we haven't tried before we will open it up on Monday morning all excited as we imagine the flavors of those sugary sweet cereals we used to eat as kids, or once in a great while, the bearable flavor of a healthy cereal we have chosen for that week. Then, as we pour the milk on and dig in with excitement, just as we begin to crunch on that first bite, we have to look twice at the package and make sure the factory didn't accidentally box up the cardboard shavings left over from the box making rather than the real cereal. <br />
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At best, these bad ones taste like nothing at all and others leave a taste in your mouth even Listerine can't seem to eliminate for 3-5 days! Now, I am not saying they are all bad, we repeatedly buy some of them because they taste very good to us as a family, but others are a huge disappointment. So, what does this have to do with insurance and value you may ask?<br />
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Well, when my wife and I are doing our grocery shopping we are looking to save money, but when we return home we want to have food we can actually eat. What I am really looking for is not just about price it is about value. As defined by dictionary.com the best explanation I could see for what I was wanting was this: <br />
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<span id="hotword"><strong><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">value</span> </strong></span><span id="hotword"> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #0055bb; cursor: pointer;">(ˈvæljuː) - <span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: black; cursor: pointer;">reasonable</span><span style="color: black;"> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">equivalent</span><span style="color: black;"> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">return;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">satisfaction:</span> </span></span><i><span id="hotword"><span style="color: black;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">value</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">for</span> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">money</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span name="hotword" style="color: #0055bb; cursor: pointer;"><i><span style="color: black;"></span></i></span>That is exactly what I am looking for, not only when I am shopping for groceries but when I am making any purchase, especially those that have a larger price tag. I want to spend what is necessary to get what I need or want out of that purchase. <br />
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This same principle applies to buying insurance, the difference is, it's not packaged in bright boxes on the bottom shelf for younger consumers and in boxes with fruits and grains all over for the more experienced and wiser consumers, and it is a larger purchase with much larger financial and emotional implications than poor or terribly tasting cereal. If you go into insurance and either buy it purely on price or on nostalgia of family history or a fancy namesake, it may not be the best value for you and your family. <br />
<br />Insurance agents should be considered a personal shopper for you and your family with your overall best interest at heart. They are trained to have already looked for the value in each company and policy type that should fit your families needs to help you avoid from paying too much for something unneccessary but also to help you avoid that bitter aftertaste from paying too little and the long term after effects that can have on you and your family. <br />
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The key is to communicate with your current agent, or one that is willing to take time and visit with you about what you need and expect out of an insurance policy or policies. They can then evaluate your needs and expectations with what insurance can fit your situation best. Then share that and the options available with you along with the benefits and downfalls to those options. This way you get VALUE out of your insurance purchase up front rather than finding out after tragedy has struck. <br />
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If you have any questions about your current insurance or would like an evaluation, I know there are many great agents in your area that would love to consult with you, and if you have or find one that isn't, give us a call at Advantage 1 Insurance, because here, your policy always comes with an agent! <br />
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<br />Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-39150399723778151852012-04-30T16:37:00.003-05:002012-04-30T16:37:51.979-05:00Spring Forward: Spring Cleaning and Safety Updates<div>
This weekend my wife and I began the process of cleaning up around the house for spring and planning a garage sale and I swear the only thing that makes the job bearable is that the spring weather has set in and with each trip to the garbage can you can enjoy that! So, as I searched for ideas to share with you this week for the blog I came across this great update presented by the Trusted Choice website and wanted to pass it along!</div>
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Temperatures are getting warmer and now that it’s spring, it’s time for
spring cleaning and making spring time repairs around the house. Taking care of
our homes is important, so take a moment to understand how taking care of things
around the house can impact your insurance with these spring time tips:</div>
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<strong>Spring cleaning inside the house</strong></div>
<br />Time to dust, sweep, vacuum and scrub! For many of us, this can also
mean cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, where we might find ourselves using
chemical based cleaning agents. Make sure that if you’re using these using
chemical cleaners you properly ventilate the room you’re in, because sometimes
the fumes from these products can be quite powerful. It can be as simple as
opening windows and make sure you keep interior doors open to allow air to flow
throughout the house. These simple steps can help you prevent getting too dizzy,
or potentially passing out if you breathe in too many fumes. It’s also critical
to keep and store these products safely- keep them in a cool dry place that
isn’t accessible to small children or pets, and always follow the instructions
on chemical cleaning products.<br />
<br />You should follow similar rules for ventilation and storage when
working with paint or wood stains. In addition to fumes, paint also poses
separate risks to hardwood floors, carpets and furniture, so whether you’re just
touching up a window frame or redoing the whole room, make sure you use drop
cloths to protect floors and furniture. In fact, if you can, move all furniture
and area rugs out of the room when painting, but if you cannot, make sure
they’re clear of the walls and covered. The last thing you want is a paint stain
on your carpets, hardwoods or your furniture. <br />
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Never dispose of paint or chemical cleaners down your sink- if you want to
get rid of extra or expired cleaning products and paint, contact your local
municipality about how and where you can dispose of these items safely. Many
communities will designate certain days when they will collect these items so
that they can be disposed of appropriately. If you were to improperly dispose of
these items you could be found liable for any property or environmental damage
they may cause, including clean-up costs and fines from local, state and federal
authorities, and under a standard homeowners policy you would not have coverage
if you dumped the chemicals, and those costs would come out of pocket. </div>
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<strong>Checking for Unwanted Guests</strong> </div>
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No, not the in-laws, but wild animals. During the winter months when
temperatures drop, humans aren’t the only ones looking to get in out of the
cold. If animals get into your home they have the potential to cause damage to
the house, your belongings and they may leave a mess. Certain types of damage by
animals may not be covered by your insurance policy, but if you discover damage
that appears to be the work of an animal, notify your <strong>Trusted
Choice</strong><sup><strong>®</strong></sup><strong> insurance agent
</strong>and take appropriate steps to remove the animals, and consider hiring a
professional pest control firm if you aren’t comfortable doing so
yourself.</div>
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<strong>Reduce your risk of a fire loss</strong></div>
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While you’re cleaning the house, take a few moments to check fire
extinguishers and smoke detectors. As you go through the house replace all of
the batteries in your smoke detectors and test to make sure they work. If you
own a fire extinguisher- check its pressure. Most municipalities have inspection
requirements for fire extinguishers in public or commercial buildings, but not
for private homes, so it’s important you check on at least an annual basis.
While extinguishers have a longer shelf life than most products, over time they
may lose pressure and the last thing you want to have happen when facing a
kitchen fire is to have the extinguisher fail to actually extinguish a fire.
When purchasing a fire extinguisher for your home, see that it’s classified for
A, B and C fires. These classifications refer to different types of fires-
ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids/gases and electrical fires. You want to
make sure that your extinguisher is capable of handling these different types of
fires.</div>
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<br /><strong>Dust off the insurance policy</strong></div>
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Finally, spring is a great time to review the “whole picture” of your
homeowners or renters insurance. Trusted Choice agents have the ability to write
insurance with multiple insurance companies, because, like the seasons, your
insurance needs change. A Trusted Choice agent can work with you to make sure
your coverage fits you and your family’s needs.</div>Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-71810280503374832312012-04-20T17:09:00.000-05:002012-04-20T17:09:18.219-05:005 Insurance Mistakes to Avoid... Yet Still Save MoneyThis week I really wanted to find something that could be informative in relation to questions we hear all of the time. I found this incredible list that nearly nails 70% of our non-payment related questions on the head! <br />
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<strong>1. Insuring your home for its market value rather than replacement cost.</strong> Although this can reduce premium, you are putting yourself at financial risk in case of disaster. (Many companies won't even allow this type of cost saving measure anyway.)<br />
- Instead- To save money, take a look at raising your deductible and increasing your risk by a nominal amount rather than a catastrophic one. <br />
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<strong>2. Selecting an insurance company by price alone. </strong>As independent agents, we love to help you get the best rate possible, but we usually look out for your best interest in the fact that sometimes "cheap" is truly that, and those companies aren't one you want to be insured with. <br />
- Ask your agent about the company they are giving you a quote from - If the information is unavailable or unfavorable, ask them to find you another company with a competitive premium but better ratings. In this case it may financially cost a few more dollars, but the frustration and headache of dealing with a poor company will be very mentally, emotionally and time costly. <br />
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<strong>3. Dropping flood insurance. </strong>Flood insurance is typically recommended or required by a lender based on data and statistics of the location of your home. Although it may seem highly unlikely, it most likely has a greater chance of flooding in your home than those of you who continually pay money to play the lottery! <br />
- If you are in the process of purchasing a home, do the research of the flood plains, and purchase in lower risk areas if you want to avoid this insurance. If you already are in the home and the lender is now requiring flood insurance, do your research and possibly get an engineering firm to do an elevation certificate, this may be some money up front but may save you from the insurance altogether or at least reduce your premium. <br />
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<strong>4. Only purchasing the legally required amount of liability for your car. </strong>Many quality independent agents will not even entertain this idea for you to save you and themselves from future headache. If you do however, think this is how you want to go, you must understand that any lawsuit incurred in which your limits are exhausted, then falls on your shoulders personally. In many cases this happens very quickly.<br />
- Instead to save on your auto insurance, consider the age, condition of your car and visit with your agent about the possibility of either dropping one or both of the physical damage coverages, or possibly increasing your deductible again. <br />
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<strong>5. Neglecting to buy renters insurance. </strong>Renters insurance not only covers the belongings you own, which in most cases add up to a lot more than you may think, but also protects you in liability claims. <br />
- To save money on your insurance, ask your agent about adding a renters policy to your portfolio, and many times, with the multi-policy discounts, your renters is nearly paid for by the savings on your auto! Don't believe me on this one? Try it! <br />
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If you would like to read the article I found in its entirety, please do! <a href="http://www.iii.org/articles/five-insurance-mistakes-to-avoid-and-still-save-money.html" target="_blank">Click here...</a><br />
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Thank you for becoming a more informed insurance buyer and remember, at Advantage 1 Insurance, every policy comes with an agent! <br />Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-40979760946076143932012-04-13T17:00:00.001-05:002012-04-13T17:00:01.823-05:00III - Insure Against the Risk of Sewer BackupHey everyone, I know that we have had a mild winter combined with a lower amount of precipitation this spring, so you are most likely not concerned about water problems in your basement this year. One question, are you covered if your sewer backs up and starts to soak the carpet, mold the bottom of the sheetrock and rot the bottom of the pool table? Please check this out and give us a call if you need help with your own policy! <br />
<a href="http://www.iii.org/press_releases/insure-against-the-risk-of-sewer-backup.html#.T4ihGA63QOE.blogger">III - Insure Against the Risk of Sewer Backup</a><br />
Remember, at Advantage 1 Insurance, every policy comes with an agent!Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420148109188745739.post-89128407037789837522012-04-06T14:00:00.000-05:002012-04-06T14:00:39.545-05:00Make sure your holiday gathering is as wonderful as possible!<strong>Planning to have a get together this weekend? Remember to do it smart! </strong><br />
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<strong>Here is an article shared by the Insurance Information Institute regarding hosting a party in your home! </strong><br />
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<strong>Be a Responsible Host When It Comes to Serving Alcohol at Parties</strong> <br />
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Whether you are hosting a Super Bowl party or greeting the New Year with friends in your home, if you are planning to serve alcohol at any type of party it is important to take steps to limit your liquor liability and make sure you have the proper insurance.</div>
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Social host liability, the legal term for the criminal and civil responsibility of a person who furnishes liquor to a guest, can have a serious impact on party throwers. Social host liability, also known as “Dram Shop Liability” laws vary widely from state to state, but 43 states have them on the books. Most of these laws also offer an injured person, such as the victim of a drunk driver, a method to sue the person who served the alcohol. There are circumstances under these laws where criminal charges may also apply.</div>
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While a social host is not liable for injuries sustained by a drunken guest (as they are also negligent), the host <em>can</em> be held liable for third parties, and may even be liable for passengers of the guest who have been injured in their car.</div>
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Before planning a party in your home, it is important to speak with your insurance agent or company representative about your homeowners coverage and any exclusions, conditions or limitations your policy might have for this kind of risk. Homeowners insurance usually provides some liquor liability coverage, but it is typically limited to $100,000 to $300,000, depending on the policy, which might not be enough.</div>
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Most importantly, whether you are hanging out with a small group of friends for cocktails or throwing a big family bash, remember that a good host is a responsible host, and takes steps to ensure guests get home safely if they have been drinking.</div>
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How to Protect Yourself and Your Guests</h2>
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If you plan to serve alcohol at a party the I.I.I. offers the following tips to promote safe alcohol consumption and reduce your social host liability exposure:</div>
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<li><strong>Make sure you understand your state laws. </strong>Before sending out party invitations, familiarize yourself with your state’s social host liability laws. These laws vary widely from state to state. Some states do not impose any liability on social hosts. Others limit liability to injuries that occur on the host’s premises. Some extend the host’s liability to injuries that occur anywhere a guest who has consumed alcohol goes. Many states have laws that pertain specifically to furnishing alcohol to minors.</li>
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<li><strong>Consider venues other than your home for the party.</strong> Hosting your party at a restaurant or bar with a liquor license, rather than at your home, will help minimize liquor liability risks. </li>
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<li><strong>Hire a professional bartender</strong>. Most bartenders are trained to recognize signs of intoxication and are better able to limit consumption by partygoers.<strong> </strong></li>
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<li><strong>Encourage guests to pick a designated driver</strong> who will refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages so that he or she can drive other guests home. </li>
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<li><strong>Be a responsible host/hostess</strong>. Limit your own alcohol intake so that you will be better able to judge your guests’ sobriety. </li>
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<li><strong>Offer non-alcoholic beverages and always serve food</strong>. Eating and drinking plenty of water, or other non-alcoholic beverages, can help counter the effects of alcohol. </li>
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<li><strong>Do not pressure guests to drink</strong> or rush to refill their glasses when empty. And never serve alcohol to guests who are visibly intoxicated. </li>
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<li><strong>Stop serving liquor toward the end of the evening</strong>. Switch to coffee, tea and soft drinks. </li>
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<li><strong>If guests drink too much or seem too tired to drive home, call a cab</strong>, arrange a ride with a sober guest or have them sleep at your home. </li>
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<li><strong>Encourage all your guests to wear seatbelts as they drive home</strong>. Studies show that seatbelts save lives. </li>
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Enjoy your weekend with family and friends but remember to be safe!Advantage 1 Insurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03844840070871041948noreply@blogger.com0