Valentine’s Day are you ready for it?

14
Feb
2011
Posted In: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Valentine’s Day,  Yes that is today, if you had forgotten go out and get that special person in your life something nice.  Or more importantly spend some real quality time with the people you love.  That’s what I’ll be doing.  You see I recently got married this past year, and I already know that my wife Jacqie, would much prefer to spend time with me than for me to buy her a gift.  Go home tonight, spend some time with your loved one.

How to Save on auto Insurance?

11
Feb
2011
Posted In: Auto Insurance, Florida Auto Insurance, orland auto insurance, tampa auto insurance, Uncategorized | 1 COMMENT

If you are like me, you want to make sure that you are getting the best deal, while not sacrificing quality.  I have had several conversations with friends lately, about how Auto Insurance companies look at individuals, and how they price insurance.  I was talking to a good friend at church on Tuesday night and explained to him what Insurance companies are really looking at 4 things.

1. Driving Records of all the drivers in the house.
This is a no brainer, but insurance companies like people with good driving records.

2. Where you live.
I’m not sure if you new this but Florida, and especially Tampa has a lot of issues with staged accident rings.  Where there is a lot of fraudulent activity going on.  Not only is there a lot of fraud, there are just a lot of people.  The more urban an area you live in, the more likely it is you will be involved in an accident or have a claim.  Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville, have a lot of traffic, they all also have a lot of accidents.

3. Credit
I hear it all the time, I have a perfect driving record, but my credit isn’t the best, why should I be penalized?  Well insurance companies are great at gathering data, and the data shows that people with better credit, have fewer claims.  Credit matters unfortunately if you like it or not.

4. Prior Bodily Injury Limits
Just like I mentioned before about insurance companies and gathering data, well data shows that people who have had prior bodily injury limits of a minimum of 50/100, have fewer claims. So insurance companies give more discounts to drivers with higher limits. the higher your limits the greater the discount.  I also believe that it is very important to carry high limits of both bodily injury, and uninsured motorist coverage.

So how do you save on your auto insurance? Well the quickest thing you can do to help improve the way an insurance company looks at you is to raise your bodily injury limits.

If you would like Most Insurance would be happy to provide you with a Most Insurance auto quote.  With in a couple of minutes we can tell you what 10 major insurance carriers are thinking about you.  We will also be happy to run quotes for you with what your current bodily limits are, and if they were higher.  It is very easy for us to give you several scenarios.

Eric

Home Fire Hazards

9
Feb
2011
Posted In: Home Insurance, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

It’s a sound you don’t want to hear. But if you do, you’ll be glad you did! Any idea what I’m talking about? Well, if you tuned in to the National Fire Prevention Association’s (NFPA) annual Fire Prevention Week this October you’d know because their theme was Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With.

A clever idea really because they do emit the most awful, high-pitched, ear-busting sound but that’s the whole idea – to alert you and get you to safety. Yet there are actually so many things you can do to prevent that ever happening, by avoiding as many fire hazards as possible from your home.

So I’ve put together a list of the 20 dos and don’ts’ for some of the most common fire risks in the home, which you can use as a checklist to add the security your fire/smoke alarm already provides (you do have one don’t you – and a fire extinguisher?). Here they are, in no particular order:

1.   Keep heat-generating items like computers, TVs and cable boxes well ventilated.
2.   Switch them off (and unplug if you can) when nobody is going to be around.
3.   Store flammable items securely (locked if possible) in a cool area, away from flames.
4.   Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
5.   Know which clothing and furnishing fabrics are flammable and keep them away from flames.
6.   Use fireguards to protect against accidental contact with flames.
7.   Avoid loose clothing, especially sleeves, when you’re using the stove.
8.   If you leave items cooking, set an audible timer to remind you to check back.

Candles are often the cause for house fires

9.   Have the gas company check your appliances regularly.
10. Regularly inspect appliance wiring and plugs for signs of damage or heat.
11. Don’t use extension cords with space heaters (actually, always avoid them where possible).
12. Don’t plug too many items into 1 outlet or too high wattage a light bulb into a restricted fitting.
13. Avoid storing stacks of combustible material like paper that sometimes ignite by themselves.
14. Put a proper fitting over an exposed closet light bulb and don’t store items too close to it.
15. If there are smokers in the house: no smoking in bed or when they/you are sleepy.
16. Ensure all fire and dryer vents are clear and regularly cleaned.
17. Monitor all outside burning (yard fires, BBQs etc.) and extinguish them fully.
18. Position barbecues at least 10 feet from walls and fences when in use or cooling.
19. Don’t set electric blankets too high when you’re not there, or allow pets to sleep on them,
20.  Workshop tools that throw out sparks should be used away from all combustible material.

Phew! I hope you’re still with me on this. You know, it’s a sad fact that well over three-quarters of fire deaths occur in the home, to say nothing of the injuries and losses of precious, sometimes irreplaceable, items.

So, please take a few moments to see how your fire safety at home stacks up against my list. While doing so, check the expiration date on extinguishers and the batteries in your smoke alarm. You’ll want to hear it, even though you’d rather not!

Concerned your not getting the best price on your home insurance, or that you might not be getting all the discounts that are due to you.  Most Insurance would be happy to quote your Home Insurance today.  Click here for a Quote from Most Insurance.

Keeping the Kids Safe

8
Feb
2011
Posted In: Auto Insurance, Florida Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, orland auto insurance, tampa auto insurance, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I guess most of us look back on the “good old days” remarking to ourselves that today’s younger generation not only have it easier than we did but that they also seem less appreciative of their circumstances than we were.  Maybe a few of us grumble even more about modern behavior standards we couldn’t possibly have got away with in our day!

But, you know, today’s youngsters face a whole lot more challenges than we encountered: more demands on their time, more peer pressure to act like everyone else, and, undoubtedly, more dangers – from potential online stalkers to casual encounters with drugs, alcohol and sex.

It’s so tough to know how to strike the right balance of discipline and guidance to maximize what we all want – kids who are happy and successful on their own terms with their lives. The final outturn sometimes is beyond our control and, as responsible parents or guardians, we find we just want to be able to say we did our best by them.

Changing ideas about what’s right and wrong in parenting skills make the challenge tougher, but it seems to me there are some clear principles about how to protect our children and what to do when thing go wrong. I’ll summarize them here.

Protection from predators: The same kids’ rule we were taught years ago applies today: Never talk or get into a car with strangers, no matter what they say. And never do things even with people you know, that you sense is dangerous or wrong. Make an excuse to leave and seek help.

Internet safety rules:These days, some of those predators are “invisible” – online. Children are more trusting, so you have to teach them to be skeptical about claims others make about themselves. With pre-and early teens, make it clear you plan to monitor their activities – and do so. You can get software to help you do this. In my humble opinion, unfettered Internet access is potentially dangerous and you should negotiate online time and activity restrictions.

Avoiding temptations: Once-taboo subjects about drugs, alcohol and sex are now an absolute must for discussion with your children. Realize, you can’t shield them from these temptations; they have to know how to deal with them. In turn, you must know how to spot problems before they escalate. A good starting point for both is the Child Development section of the Government’s Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov)

Bullying:Most youngsters are involved in bullying at some stage – either as perpetrators (though you won’t suspect this) or victims. Have regular, probing conversations with your children on the subject and if you discover it, seek help. Great info here: http://tinyurl.com/Stop-Bully

Road and life skills: Wow, you may think, that’s a whole training manual in itself but I can distill it down to one simple guideline: Set the example you want your kids to follow. You may not think so, but as you drive, eat, drink, talk, play, interact, they’re watching you and learning.

These are just my thoughts.  We’re all different from each other – both kids and parents. The important thing is to try to maintain an open and honest relationship, and to seek help when you need it – for example from school, professional counselors, parenting groups or simply trustworthy friends.  Parenting is a tough job and there’s certainly no shame in seeking support.

Bob

Avoiding Auto Theft

7
Feb
2011
Posted In: Auto Insurance, Florida Auto Insurance, orland auto insurance, tampa auto insurance, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Since the first of Henry Ford’s Model T’s rolled off the Piquette production line at Detroit more than a century ago, law enforcement, vehicle manufacturers, insurers and we humble

Bob and Pam Most by their 1914 Model T Ford

car owners, have been waging a non-stop war against auto thieves. And despite all the advances in security and technology, the crooks are still doing well since, according to the FBI, around a million motor vehicles, worth more than $7 billion, are stolen in the US every year.

Add to that the huge number of vehicles that are broken into every day – and the misery that follows that can range from loss of a few CDs, or an MP3 Player, or GPS  to valuables and personal items that can lead to identity theft – and you get some idea of the scale of this crime.

Furthermore, while you might think the most popular cars to steal are the high-end models, that’s not the case at all. Older sedans from the mainstream manufacturers are the favorite targets, mainly because of the value of their parts. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) publishes a league table of the most stolen cars, at http://tinyurl.com/car-theft-chart.

As far as I know, no one has ever produced an impenetrable, mass-production auto, (which is one of the reasons we have and need auto insurance!).  However, I do enjoy reading about those security systems that auto-lock with the thief inside and then either sound an alarm or contact the police. But you don’t have to go down such an expensive route to substantially cut the risk of becoming an auto-theft victim. A few simple precautions can do the trick.

For a start, there are the obvious ones (but not so obvious that people still don’t do them), like never leaving valuables or identity information in the vehicle and always locking your car, shutting the windows, and arming the alarm. Here are some more ideas to add to you checklist:

  • Whenever you can, park in well-lit, busy areas.
  • Lock you car when you’re inside, especially in cities and built-up areas.
  • Don’t hide your keys (inside or outside the car); crooks know where to look.
  • Never leave the engine running while you dash into a store or to an ATM.
  • Don’t leave anything on show that could be appealing to a thief.
  • Use an alarm system that has a flashing light when armed – it’s a great deterrent.
  • If you can, remove knobs or other controls from the radio when you leave, making it less attractive to a thief.
  • If you live or park in a high risk area, consider installing an immobilizing device, with a fuel cut-off.
  • For more valuable cars (the value is questionable on cheaper cars), install a tracking device and/or subscribe to a tracking service.

It’s worth knowing that crime experts say that around 80% of all vehicle thefts are done by pros and a fair number of these cars are actually either resold or their vehicle identification number (VIN) used to disguise or “clone” another car. So, if you’re in the market to buy a car, the NICB offers a free vehicle history service on its website at www.nicb.org.

There is some good news. The number of stolen vehicles actually seems to be falling. I hope these tips I’ve provided will help you make your contribution to continuing that trend!

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