8 Tips to Plan a Beautiful Summer Wedding

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Summer weddings are popular! If you’re one of the many people planning a wedding at this busy time of year, these tips can help.

Closeup view of the hands of three bridesmaids in pink holding pink and white floral bouquets.

June and August are two of the most popular wedding months. Warm weather and flowers make weddings more fun and more beautiful. Summer can be challenging, while reserving the venue and other services can be tricky.

Knowing how to manage the many challenges of planning a summer wedding can help make your big day a success. Here’s what to know about planning a beautiful summer wedding.

1. Set Your Budget

Spending too much on your wedding is easy, especially in the summer. Getting married at a time of year can mean paying more for photography, catering, and the venue. Set a budget before signing any contracts or choosing a venue. Once you know how much you can spend, you’ll be better positioned to decide what you can afford.

2. Start Planning In Advance

Venues and services get booked far in advance for summer weddings. Start planning your wedding at least one year ahead of time to get the venue and other services you want.

3. Be Flexible About Your Date

It may take a lot of work to get the venue you want on the date you want, especially if you’re aiming for a Saturday wedding. If you’re flexible about your wedding date, it may be easier to get your event on the schedule.

4. Prepare for Heat or Rain

It might be hot on the day you get married. Or, it might rain. Or both things could happen at once! If you’re planning an outdoor wedding or reception, heat and rain can impact everything from your hair to the quality of your food. Be prepared in advance for all types of weather.

5. Provide Shady or Indoor Locations

You might be planning an outdoor wedding, so provide your guests with sheltered areas where they can escape if the sun is burning or a misty rain falls. You might provide a tent, an indoor facility, or both.

6. Have Your Wedding During the Cooler Parts of the Day

Midday might seem like a logical time to get married, but it might also be the warmest. Planning your wedding for the morning or evening will allow you to escape the worst of the heat, so you can focus more on the ceremony and less on how hot it is.

7. Dress for the Weather

Some outfits are more comfortable in hot weather than others. Here’s what to watch for when choosing a dress or suit for the day:

  • Skip the train. The train on your dress may weigh it down and make you less comfortable. Avoid dresses with too much fabric.
  • Wear lightweight (and light-colored!) fabrics. Breathable fabrics will allow you to stay cool without sweating through your clothes, while light-colored fabrics will reflect the heat into the air rather than absorbing heat throughout the day.
  • Wear a crown of paper flowers (not real ones). If it’s too hot for a flower crown (which might wilt in the summer heat), consider a crown of paper flowers – or a tiara instead.

8. Consider Wedding Insurance

You can benefit from multiple types of wedding insurance at your summer wedding. Some types of wedding insurance cover injuries and others reimburse for cancelations or postponements. Both can be beneficial under certain circumstances. Call your insurance agent today to learn more.

Tornado Tips: How to Be Prepared

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It’s important to be prepared and know what to do in the event of a tornado. Know the warning signs and how to protect yourself.

Tornado Shelter directional street sign with backdrop of dark and cloudy skies

This time of year, the trees are budding, flowers are starting to grow, and the skies begin to fill with ominous storms. Late spring and early summer are the most active time for tornadoes.

While most tornadoes occur in “Tornado Alley,” in the central part of the United States, tornadoes can occur (and have occurred) in all 50 states. In fact, there are about 1,200 tornadoes each year in the U.S.

While tornadoes can be deadly, there are many things that you can do to protect yourself and your family. Having an emergency plan, knowing when a tornado has been sighted, and seeking shelter are all ways you can be prepared.

Create an Emergency Plan

Have an emergency plan to protect yourself and members of your household during a tornado. An emergency plan is essential if you live where tornadoes are common, but remember, a tornado can happen anywhere.

Know Where to Take Shelter

The safest place to take shelter during a tornado is in a basement or a windowless space in the middle of the structure on the lowest floor. If you live in a mobile home, know a building near your home where you can seek shelter during a tornado. If there are no buildings nearby where you can go, consider building a tornado shelter for your home.

Create An Emergency Supply Kit

Keep an emergency supply kit in your house in case of a tornado. Below are some items that you should keep on hand:

  • 1 Gallon of water per person per day for 3 days
  • Non-perishable food
  • First aid kit
  • Flashlight with batteries
  • Radio with batteries
  • Toilet paper
  • Whistle to signal for help
  • Sleeping bag and warm blanket

See the National Weather Service website for a complete list.

Teach Your Children How to Stay Safe in a Tornado

Teach your children about tornado safety to reduce feelings of panic and help ensure an orderly response in the event of a tornado. Teach your children what a tornado is, how to know when a tornado watch or warning is in effect in your area, and how to shelter at home and school.

Know the Signs and Warnings

One way to protect yourself is to be familiar with the signs and warnings that can signal a tornado.

What’s a Tornado Watch?

A tornado watch is a signal broadcast through local warning systems and the media to indicate the conditions are suitable for a tornado. During a tornado watch, it’s important to pay attention to the radio and television (to stay attuned to the weather conditions) and take shelter if necessary.

What’s a Tornado Warning?

A tornado warning is a signal that a tornado has been spotted in an area. During a tornado warning, taking shelter in a designated area is critical.

Know Your Local Alerts

Local alerts about tornadoes vary. Many places have an outdoor warning system to notify residents that it’s time to take shelter. Know the warning systems in your area and pay attention to alerts during storms or when an alarm is sounded.

Signs of a Tornado

While paying attention to your local alerts, it’s also essential to know the signs of a tornado.

  • Funnel-shaped cloud
  • Large, dark, low-lying cloud or cloud of debris
  • Dark sky or green-colored sky
  • Roaring noise
  • Large hail

Protect Yourself With Homeowners Insurance

An up-to-date homeowners insurance policy is one of the best ways to protect your property in the event of a tornado or other natural disaster. Call your agent today.

Spring Is Here! Time to Assess the Condition of Your Roof

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It’s time to assess the condition of your roof! In this article, you’ll learn about how to maintain your roof this spring.

View of roof with shingles coming off

Now that you’ve made it through the long, hard winter, addressing home repair issues that may have surfaced in the last several months is essential. At this time of year, it’s especially important to assess the condition of your roof and, if needed, to seek roof repair.

Importance of Maintaining Your Roof

A damaged roof can leak, leading to structural damage, mold and mildew damage, wood rot, and more. Once a roof starts leaking, it can be challenging to find the source of the leak. Water penetrating the roofing membrane may roll down until it finds a point of entry into your attic. Sometimes the source of the leak is far from the location where the leak manifests, which makes repairing a roof tricky. You can avoid a difficult-to-fix roof leak and potential damage to your home’s structure by maintaining your roof.

How Long Do Roofs Last?

Some roofing materials last longer than others. Asphalt shingles, one of the most common roofing materials in the U.S., typically last about 15 to 30 years. Metal roofs can last 70 years, while clay roofs can last 50.
The secret to ensuring a long service life for your roof is to perform regular maintenance. By keeping your gutters clean, removing debris from your roof at least once annually, and inspecting your roof regularly, you can keep your roof in good condition.

Steps to Assess Your Roof

You don’t have to hire roofers to inspect your roof. You can perform the inspection yourself if you can adequately see your roof from the ground around your house. Hire a roofer if you must get on your roof to perform the inspection.

  1. Walk around your home and look at your roof for problems such as missing, curling, or cracked shingles, cracked caulking, and deteriorating flashing.
  2. Check your gutters for asphalt granules (if your roof is asphalt shingles). It is expected to find a few granules here and there, but if your gutters are full of granules, it is likely time to replace some shingles. Check for granules at the base of your downspouts as well.
  3. Step back from your home and look at your roof line. If the roof line is sagging in the middle or uneven on one side, this is a sign of a serious problem.
  4. Go into your attic to look for signs of a roof leak. Wet, stained wood is a clear indication of a problem. If the wood appears stained but not wet, this could be from an old roof leak.

Found a Problem? Meet with Roofers

If the inspection of your roof generates cause for concern, meet with roofers as soon as possible. The summer is a busy time for roofers, and the best contractors tend to book early. To address your problem as quickly as possible, make appointments with roofers as soon as you realize your roof needs attention.

Need a New Roof? Follow These Tips

Choosing a contractor to repair or replace your roof is a big deal. The contractor you choose will impact the quality of the work.

  • Meet with multiple roofers before selecting the one to do the work.
  • Check their credentials, including insurance, bond, licensure, and experience.
  • Check references to ensure homeowners who hired the roofer you’re considering had good experiences.

Brush Up Your Homeowners Insurance

Some roof damage – like damage from wind or a lightning strike – may be covered by homeowners insurance. Keep up your policy to protect your home. Call your agent today.

Is Your Insurance Coverage Enough?

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Do you have adequate insurance coverage for your home and vehicle? Would you know if you did? Find out here whether your home is underinsured.

Business man in suit holding hand over small wood house with three small wood people.

Whether auto or homeowners, insurance is a powerful form of protection against disasters. Insurance makes rebuilding possible when something unexpected happens, whether a house fire or a car crash.

Unfortunately, a significant portion of the population is likely underinsured. Although building costs have risen in recent months, only 30 percent of homeowners have updated their insurance policies to accommodate this change. To complicate matters, many homeowners performed home upgrades during the pandemic, but less than half have updated their homeowners insurance policies to accommodate the change.

Being underinsured may not be as bad as having no insurance, but it can be. Paying for insurance that won’t cover your costs in a disaster can be devastating, especially if you have no money to rebuild after the disaster.

This article will discuss the risks associated with being underinsured, what it means, and what you can do about it.

What Does It Mean to be Underinsured?

There are multiple ways that a person can be underinsured. To be underinsured means to have the wrong coverage or insufficient coverage to protect your home or car when a covered event occurs.

Wrong coverage. You buy a home near a river and purchase a standard homeowners insurance policy. A storm causes the river to rise, creating water damage. Your homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover flood damage. To protect from costs related to flooding, you need flood insurance. Your home is underinsured.

Insufficient coverage. You buy a home and insure the dwelling for an amount that covers the replacement cost if destroyed. You have homeowners insurance, but after several years, you no longer have enough coverage to rebuild your home if lost. Your home is underinsured.

How to Get Adequate Coverage

To determine whether your home and vehicle have adequate coverage, start by reading your insurance policies and analyzing your needs. Research building costs, vehicle prices, and more. Touch base with your insurance agent during this process to get a professional opinion.

Some tips:

  • Be honest with yourself about your insurance needs. Don’t risk underinsuring your home because lower premiums are currently more attractive.
  • Be honest with your insurance agent about your home size, the presence of other structures, home improvements, and more.
  • Talk to your insurance agent about separate scheduling of high-value items like jewelry.
  • Ask yourself whether you can afford the deductible on the policy you currently have or are considering. A higher deductible can reduce your premium costs, but would you be able to cover the cost of the deductible in the event of a covered event?
  • Review your auto and homeowners insurance coverage every year. Keeping tabs on your coverage makes it less likely that you’ll find yourself in a vulnerable position when a covered event occurs.

Have You Reviewed Your Insurance Coverage? If Not, It’s Time.

If you haven’t reviewed your homeowners and auto insurance coverage, it’s time – touch base with your insurance agent to kick off the process. Find out how much it would cost to increase your insurance coverage. Work with your agent to find a policy that will meet your needs.

Tired of Being Cold? 6 Ways to Keep Your Home Warm (Without Cranking the Heat)

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Heating costs are going up! These tips make it possible to stay warm this winter without turning up the dial on your thermostat.

Woman sitting on chair, keeping warm with blanket over shoulders and hot chocolate.

It’s chilly out there, and the cost of heating your home is on the rise. According to the National Energy Assistance Director’s Association, home heating costs are at their highest in 10 years. Some families are paying more than 17% more to heat their homes. You might be reluctant to turn up the heat if you’re on a budget.

There’s more than one way to stay warm at this time of year. You can stay warm without turning up the heat by insulating your home, using heating pads, and drinking soup and hot drinks.

1 – Weatherstrip Your Home

Drafts near windows and doors can cause cold spots around the house. Weatherstripping can help keep the cold air out and the warm air in.

Weatherstripping is an easy project for an afternoon. You can purchase weatherstripping from your local hardware store. It should be thick enough to fill the gaps around windows and doors but not so thick that it prevents them from opening or closing properly.

If you applied weatherstripping in the last few years, check your handiwork. If the weather stripping has cracked, broken, or compressed, it should be replaced.

2 – Use Heating Pads (Microwavable Ones)

Use microwaveable heating pads to heat your feet in bed. These heating pads often have beads inside that retain heat for a long time. If you don’t own this type of heating pad, you can also make one at home from a clean sock and uncooked rice.

3 – Eat Soup and Drink Warm Beverages

Make a pot of soup or a hot cup of tea. You’ll warm your kitchen during the preparation and warm your body when you consume it. For maximum benefit, keep a pot of coffee going throughout the day or a crock pot of soup on the kitchen counter.

4 – Dress in Layers

It’s time to break out those sweaters, turtlenecks, long-sleeved shirts, and long underwear! Dressing in layers is an art, as you’ll want to dress warm enough to stay comfortable but not too warmly that you’ll feel sweaty and damp. Wear silk or polyester to wick away sweat in the layer closest to your body. In the next layer up, wear a sweater, a sweatshirt, or a fleece to provide insulation and warmth.

Add layers to your bed and your body, putting more blankets on to stay warm at night.

5 – Humidify Your Home

Dry air feels cooler than humidified air. The longer winter goes on, the dryer the air feels. Install a humidifier in your home. Aim for a humidity of 30% to 40%. Use a hygrometer to measure your humidity levels, and avoid over-humidification.

6 – Use That Fireplace

Whether you have a gas or wood-burning fireplace, getting a fire going is a charming way to keep your house warm. Before use, contact a chimney sweep at the start of the season to have your chimney inspected and serviced. Do this even if you never used your chimney last year because you never know what could have happened to your chimney between now and then.

Be Safe. Contact Your Insurance Professional.

Heat your home safely this winter – never leave fires unattended and never use your oven as your heat source. Contact your insurance professional to ensure that your home has adequate coverage.

Protect Your Home from Water and Ice Damage

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Water and ice damage affects homeowners everywhere, but you can protect your home with the following tips.

Icicles hanging from gutter along roofline

Water damage can cause serious problems, ranging from mold and mildew to structural weakness. Between 2015 and 2019, 1 in 50 insured homes filed a water damage claim with their insurance. While it’s important to have homeowners insurance to protect your property from water damage, you can avoid these problems by taking care of your property.

Clean and Protect Your Gutters

Your home’s gutters protect your house from water damage by directing water away from your roof and foundation. Clogged gutters overflow during rainstorms and allow water to pool around the eaves and foundation, which can cause problems like soil heaving, foundation cracking, ice dams, and roof leaks.

Clean your gutters at least once annually to prevent your gutters from clogging. You may need to clean your gutters multiple times per year if your property has a lot of trees.

If your gutters need more than twice the annual cleaning, gutter guards can protect your gutters and prevent them from clogging. Trim nearby trees to remove overhanging branches that will drop leaves, sticks, and needles into the gutters.

Insulate

In 2021, many residents of Texas experienced a winter storm that froze pipes and caused ice dams. This storm was a perfect example of what happens when power outages and extremely cold temperatures co-occur. A survey of affected Texans showed that approximately 15% of impacted homeowners had frozen pipes, and countless others saw ice dams form on their roofs.

What’s an ice dam? An ice dam happens when “hot spots” on the roof cause snow to melt. The melting snow rolls down the roof to the colder eaves, where it refreezes. Eventually, the ice backs up under the shingles and into the attic itself.

How can you protect yourself? Insulation can protect your home’s pipes from cold temperatures in winter. Attic insulation also promotes even heating of the roof, which can prevent an ice dam (and thus a roof leak) from forming.

Insulate the pipes in your home with pipe insulation. Pipe insulation wraps around the pipes and protects them from below-freezing temperatures. You can find pipe insulation at hardware stores and home improvement centers. Simply cut down the insulation to the length of the pipe, remove the adhesive backing, then attach the insulation.

Insulate your attic if it’s needed. You’ll know your attic needs more insulation if you can see the floor joists. As a general rule, insulation should cover the joists so they can no longer be seen. For best results, hire a professional to install attic insulation.

Regulate Your Home’s Temperature

Never turn off your thermostat in winter, even if you’re leaving town. If you’re planning to be out of the house for a few days, turn down your home’s furnace to 55 degrees. This allows you to save money on heating costs while preventing your pipes from freezing.

Some additional tips:

  • Program your home’s thermostat to maintain a temperature at or above 55 degrees
  • Service your home’s heating system in the fall or early winter to avoid a furnace breakdown
  • Leave a trickle of water running when temperatures outside are expected to drop below freezing

Seal Cracks

Tiny cracks in your home’s siding or foundation can become a hiding place for water, which can freeze during times of severe weather, causing cracks to widen and make way for water leaks. Seal all cracks in your home’s exterior before winter comes.

Update Your Homeowner’s Policy

Water and ice damage can lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs. Is your house protected? Contact your insurance agent to evaluate your coverage.

Driving this Thanksgiving: Safety Tips That Save Lives

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Safe driving saves lives. If you’re traveling this holiday season, follow these tips to protect yourself and others on the road with you.

Car with cooked turkey strapped to roof.

 

Traveling during the holidays brings us closer to family and loved ones, but sometimes, traveling also puts us in harm’s way. According to the National Safety Council, 406 people died in traffic accidents during the Thanksgiving weekend in 2019. This number is not atypical for the holiday season: NSC consistently estimates that between 400 and 500 people will die over the 4-day period we celebrate Thanksgiving.

Take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. The following tips can help you avoid accidents that can lead to injuries and even fatalities.

Wear a Seat Belt

Seat belts save lives. According to the United States Department of Transportation, seat belts saved nearly 15,000 people who survived car accidents in 2017. Whether you’re going to see a relative in your town or traveling hundreds of miles from home, wear a seat belt. Be sure the other people in your vehicle buckle up as well.

Pay Attention to the Weather

Thanksgiving weather can vary, from snowy to icy to beautiful and sunny. Pay attention to the weather at your point of departure, your destination, and the route in between. Watch for low temperatures, chances of precipitation, and more.

Know Your Route

How will you be arriving at your destination? If you’re using a GPS device or GPS on your smartphone, plug in the route before you start driving.

Avoid Drowsy Driving

Drowsy driving caused over 600 traffic deaths in 2020. Driving drowsy can reduce your reaction time and cause you to fall asleep behind the wheel. To avoid drowsy driving:

  • Drive with a partner and take turns driving
  • Get out to walk around periodically
  • Avoid driving at times when you would usually be sleeping
  • Drink coffee or another caffeinated beverage
  • If you’re feeling tired, roll down your window to increase your alertness
  • Listen to music or talk to people in the car with you to increase your alertness
  • Divide long journeys into segments and know when to stop for the night

Put Children in Appropriate Seat Restraints

Children are required to ride in seat restraints. The youngest children must ride in rear-facing car seats until they graduate to front-facing car seats and, finally, booster seats. Pay attention to the weight requirements for each type of car seat, and know the seat restraint laws in your state.

Watch Your Speed

Of course, you should follow the posted speed limits along your route, but sometimes driving the speed limit is too fast for your journey. The speed limit may be dangerously fast if the road is icy, wet, snowy, or in poor condition. Use common sense when selecting your speed. Don’t prioritize a quick journey over the safety of you and your passengers.

Don’t Drive Distracted

Over 3,000 people die in distracted driving-related accidents every year. Pull over if you must take a call, send, or read a text message while driving. If someone is in the car, let them take the call, change the radio station, read the text message aloud, and adjust your GPS device. Never read or send a text message while driving.

Drive Sober

In 2019, nearly 1/3 of traffic fatalities involved alcohol. Alcohol-related traffic deaths are entirely preventable.
It’s common for people to have a drink or two when at a relative’s house for a holiday celebration. Before arriving at your destination, designate a sober driver – or plan to stay the night.

Update Your Auto Insurance Policy

Take steps to protect yourself this holiday season. Call your insurance agent to check (and update) your auto insurance policy.

The Trick to Having a Safe Halloween

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Boo! Halloween is almost here – Are you ready for a safe, fun holiday? Follow these safety tips for an enjoyable night of tricks and treats.

Girl with pumpkin cutout mask during Halloween

Halloween is approaching quickly! This night of tricks and fun is a fantastic opportunity to decorate your home, have fun with the kids, and enjoy a few spooks on the side.

Over half of Americans celebrate Halloween, and the average person spends more than $100 on the holiday. Of course, the fun ends when someone gets hurt or when property damage results. In fact, Halloween house fires account for more than $11 million in property damage every Halloween, and pedestrian fatalities are 43 percent higher on this day than on other days. All fun is lost for those who are unfortunate victims of Halloween accidents.

There are ways to avoid these types of incidents. Below are some best practices for having a safe and enjoyable Halloween.

Maintain a Safe Lawn

Poorly placed Halloween lawn decorations can be a hazard for trick-or-treaters and their parents. Prioritizing safe placement for Halloween lawn decorations can prevent injuries and other damages.

Keep decorations away from walkways. Give trick-or-treaters a safe path to your front door by keeping decorations and electrical cords off walkways. If you must drape an extension cord over your sidewalk, tape it down or use an extension cord cover to prevent trips and falls.

Keep your lawn well-lit. Use bright twinkle lights and garden lighting to ensure that visitors to your property can see where they’re going. Make a particular point of lighting the path to your front door.

Inspect your lawn before the big night. Inspect your outdoor decorations before Halloween night to ensure your property is safe.

Make repairs as indicated below:

  • Remove any decorations that may have fallen over walkways.
  • Replace broken strands of lights to maintain a well-lit pathway.
  • Walk through your property after dark to ensure trick-or-treaters can see well enough when coming to your front door. If you can’t see well enough, they can’t either.

Lock Up Once the Fun is Finished

Lock up your home and garage once trick-or-treating is finished. Pull your car off the street and park it in your driveway or garage. Lock your front and back gates to keep stray tricksters off your property.

Be Fire Safe

Use battery-powered candles in your jack-o-lanterns and decorations. If using real candles for any reason, keep flames away from flammable objects. Never leave lit candles unattended. Replace batteries in smoke detectors as needed.

When Out of the House, Keep Your Property Safe

Whether you’re leaving the house to go trick-or-treating or leaving for the night, these tips can help keep your property safe from tricksters and intruders.

  • Leave lights in your house on even if you’re not home. If you’re out of town, put your lights on timers, so they’ll turn on in the evening and turn back off when it’s daylight.
  • Don’t tell many people if you’re leaving town. Don’t announce on social media that you’ll be going out of town, and only tell people who you trust when you’ll be away.
  • Maintain contact with trusted neighbors. If you trust your neighbors and know they’ll maintain a watch over the neighborhood, stay in touch with your neighbors while you’re out. Have them keep you in the loop about the goings-on and suspicious behavior.

Trick-Or-Treat Safely

Avoid trick-or-treating hazards like slips and falls.

  • Maintain clear vision. Have the kids try on their costumes in advance to ensure they can see through their masks.
  • Wear safe costumes. Brightly colored costumes are best. If your kids have darker-colored costumes, attach reflectors to the exterior to ensure your kids are visible. Buy costumes that fit, and avoid costumes that hang down below the ankles or drag on the ground.
  • Light the path. Bring bright flashlights while trick-or-treating, and take a route with established sidewalks.

Check Your Homeowner’s Coverage

Protect yourself this Halloween with proper homeowner’s insurance coverage. Contact your insurance agent to check your policy and coverage.

5 Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

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Danger Carbon Monoxide sign

Every year, unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (not linked to fires) sends 20,000 people to the emergency room and causes more than 4,000 hospitalizations. And, you might consider them the fortunate ones. CO also is responsible for more than 400 deaths in America each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The truly frightening thing? Most of those victims likely had no idea they were in danger.

CO often is called “the invisible killer” because it’s odorless and colorless, and, when it builds up in an enclosed space, it’s deadly. Everyone is at risk, too, because CO is produced by a number of things we use every day, such as cars and trucks, stoves, grills, gas ranges, furnaces, and more.

So, how do you protect yourself? Especially in winter, when it’s cold outside and you’re using heat sources inside your home?

Here are some basic actions you can take to help limit your exposure:

  1. Install — and test — CO detectors
    Most states (37 in all) now have some sort of requirement regarding the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in private homes. These should be placed outside of each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Because you won’t smell or otherwise notice CO building up, having detectors that will sound an alarm is crucial. Don’t forget to test them once a month.
  2. Don’t create additional risk in your home
    You should never use devices that generate large amounts of CO inside your home. Never operate a gas or charcoal grill inside (even in a garage), and make sure generators are used in a well-ventilated outside location away from windows, doors, and vents. Make sure to have your furnace and chimney checked annually, too.
  3. Be careful in your car
    Carbon monoxide can build up quickly when a vehicle is running, so, if you need to warm up your car, move it out of the garage after you start it.
  4. Watch out for snow — at home and on your vehicle
    Snow and ice can block vents for your dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace. They also can obstruct the exhaust of your car. Either can be very dangerous. In fact, according to news reports, several people died in the recent East Coast snowstorm when CO backed up into their cars because the exhaust pipe was blocked.
  5. Know the symptoms of CO poisoning
    People can be harmed by a small amount of carbon monoxide over a long period, or a large amount over a short period. Because you might not be able to identify when you’re in a dangerous situation, it pays to know what symptoms to look for:

    • Low to moderate CO poisoning: headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness.
    • High-level CO poisoning: mental confusion, vomiting, loss of coordination, loss of consciousness.

    If you suspect CO poisoning, move the person (and yourself) outside immediately and call 911.

Remember, the important thing to know about carbon monoxide is this: Without CO detectors (and other common-sense measures), you won’t know when you’re at risk. So, take steps to protect yourself and your family today.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user SmartSign used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Image cropped and modified from original.

Insurance Coverage for Your New Car

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Man smiling from the window of his new car

Congratulations! After weeks of research, comparing makes and models, and taking test drives you finally bought that brand-new car you wanted. But before you take that well-deserved road trip, check one more item off your list: the right car insurance.

While some auto coverage options are essential whatever the age of your car, new vehicles may carry some additional risks you should know about. So before leaving the lot, give us a quick call to discuss the possible coverage options: 

New vehicle replacement. Here’s how this coverage works: If you’re the original owner of a new car that is totaled or stolen within one year of purchase, you’ll be paid the full value of the car you lost or a comparable model. Without this policy, you may have to settle for something less than new. Please note that this coverage is included with certain Safeco auto policies.

Loan and lease coverage. Consider what could happen if you financed your new car and then it was totaled or stolen soon after buying it. Not only would you lose your new ride, but you’d also still be on the hook for your entire loan balance — which would be more than the car was worth. With loan and lease coverage, you’d get a check to cover the gap between what’s left on your loan and the depreciated value of your car.

Audio-visual and custom equipment coverage. If you’re an avid music fan who enjoys a custom sound system or DVD player, this coverage protects you for the full value of any A/V equipment not installed at the factory or dealership. It also covers such modifications as roll bars, certain custom engine parts, lift kits, special wheels, artwork, decals, and other personal touches.

OEM parts replacement. OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts are often preferable to other aftermarket parts because they are made specifically for your make and model of vehicle. So if you want your Honda repaired with Honda parts, or your Mercedes to only have official Mercedes parts, this coverage is for you. When you buy this optional coverage, it’s added to your existing Comprehensive and Collision coverage so that all repairs or replacements made to your damaged car will include new OEM parts where available.

You invested in a new car. So be sure your investment extends to the right auto policy as well. To learn more about protecting your new vehicle, give us a call today!

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user OakleyOriginals used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.