You need coverage for your car. But what kind of insurance should you get, and how much coverage do you need? As you consider auto insurance policies, ask yourself the following questions to determine the best coverage for your vehicle.
Who? Will you be the only one driving your car? If you share the vehicle with others, such as a spouse or a teen driver, you’ll need to list them on your policy.
What? What type of vehicle do you drive? The year, make, and model of your car affect the price of insurance. Some types of cars require special policies, and others may be eligible for discounts due to strong safety records.
When? How often do you drive your car, and how far do you usually drive it? Your policy should reflect your typical use of the vehicle. If you rarely drive it, you may want to consider mileage-based insurance.
Where? Do you park your car on the street or in a garage? Do you drive your car in harsh environments or smooth conditions? Consider the risks your vehicle faces as you weigh your options for coverage.
Why? Why do you need coverage? Do you simply want to fulfill state legal requirements? Do you love your car and want to keep it scratch-free? Do you have a lease that requires specific coverage? The reason for your coverage should guide your policy choice.
How? How do you want to pay for your auto insurance? Monthly? Biannually? Consider your payment options, which may provide different benefits or discounts. You can also choose a higher deductible to lower your premium. Contact our office to review your options and determine the best coverage for you and your vehicle.
Shoot Pics Like a Pro on Your Next Vacation
Vacations call for mementos. We want to document every sunset, every dive off the dock, and every roasted marshmallow with a photo. And not just any photo, but a photo that perfectly captures the golden glow, wide smiles, and lush landscapes. This summer, make it your goal to take vacation photos that are frame-worthy. For iPhone shooters and SLR slingers alike, these tips will help take your snapshots from blah to beautiful.
Get high, get low. When you shoot every picture from the same angle, things start to get boring. Experiment with shooting from different angles and heights for more unique perspectives.
Capture candids. The best photos usually aren’t posed. Instead of wrangling the family to sit still for a picture, snap away as they’re building sandcastles, eating ice cream, and running out of the water. You’ll capture the sincerest expressions and memories.
Get up close and personal. Don’t be afraid to shoot close-ups—of food, details, faces, and more. This is especially true for smartphone cameras, which can produce dull images when the shot is too long.
Share the camera. The shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot, and the photographer always goes unphotographed. Make sure you pass the camera to someone else once in a while to capture your presence on the trip.
Use the right apps. Simple edits, when appropriate, can transform your images. You don’t have to be a Photoshop pro; phone apps like VSCO and Afterlight come with photographer-approved tools for adjusting brightness, cropping, and reducing shadows.
Travel Health Insurance: Don’t Leave Home Without It
Those faraway places may be calling your name, as the Dean Martin song suggests, but don’t board that airplane without purchasing travel health insurance.
Many people believe their regular health insurance policy will cover them in cases of illness or injury outside the U.S. In fact, most policies don’t cover travel outside the country, and those that do will likely limit your coverage. At best, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for hospitalization and medical care to be reimbursed later by your insurer.
So before you leave, find a medical travel insurance policy that meets your individual needs. The standard policy can cover emergency medical treatment, doctor’s visits, dental emergencies and transportation home in the case of medical emergencies. There are add-ons, such as accidental death and dismemberment, and lost luggage; however, you may have special circumstances that will require more than standard travel insurance.
If, for example, you have a pre-existing medical condition you may find obtaining travel insurance a bit more challenging. A pre-existing condition includes any medical condition, existing before you apply for the policy that could require a doctor’s visit, treatment and/or hospitalization. This includes heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has done away with pre-existing condition factors in health care plans for children under 19, may affect this clause in travel health insurance policies. Your best bet is to discuss it with your insurance adviser.
Worth Reading
Teach Your Kids to Fend for Themselves with These Everyday Tasks
By Kristen Mae
Lifehacker.com
Use everyday encounters to train your children to speak confidently to adults before they enter the workforce or head to college. Have them order meals at restaurants, whether fast-food or sit-down. Prepare them to ask questions about their bodies during doctor appointments. They should complete at least some parts of administrative paperwork once their handwriting is legible. Help them address concerns with teachers themselves—future teachers will thank you. More: https://tinyurl.com/worth0719a
30 Ways to Add Fun to Your Daily Routine
By Daniel Wallen
Lifehack.org
Simple changes can make your life less boring. Create excitement by moving: dance around your house, walk home from work, or eat on a porch swing. Explore your everyday surroundings. Wander through neighborhoods you don’t typically visit. Eat at a restaurant without reading reviews first. Volunteer. Strike up a friendly conversation with a stranger in a safe place. Other people’s lives can often enrich yours. More: https://tinyurl.com/worth0719b
All About Hue: Optimal Colors for Every Room in Your House
By Jenny Mason
Houzz.com
Decorate rooms to promote the activities that take place there. Different colors support specific actions. Green hues can encourage rest. Even if you don’t want to paint your bedroom green, consider buying a green pillowcase. Red can increase hunger, so incorporate it into your dining room. A blue study or workspace can bolster concentration and productivity. More: https://tinyurl.com/worth0719c
5 Natural Disaster Facts You Probably Don’t Know
Do natural disasters pose a threat to your home? It’s unlikely your home is completely free of risk. Consider the following National Geographic disaster facts that affect homeowners worldwide each season.
Tornado fact: Tornadoes occur most often between March and July, during the hours from 4 to 9 p.m. Tornado winds can whip up to 300 mph. That’s twice as fast as hurricane winds. These powerful twisters can quickly destroy homes in their path.
Lightning fact: A lightning flash can heat the air around it to five times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Contrary to popular belief, lightning can (and does) strike the same place twice. Rods and other materials such as plumbing and gutters can ground homes and offer protection from lightning.
Hurricane fact: Hurricanes cause “storm surges” when winds push ocean water onshore. These can reach heights of 20 feet and can cover several miles of inland territory.
Flooding and storm surges are two of the most threatening aspects of hurricanes. These storms can also generate tornadoes. Forecasts and evacuations are the best defense against the destruction of hurricanes.
Earthquake fact: Typically, a magnitude 8 earthquake hits somewhere every year.
Earthquakes claim the lives of 10,000 people annually; a majority of these tragedies are due to collapsing buildings.
These disasters can also lead to other incidents, such as fires, tsunamis, and floods, that add to the destruction.
Wildfire fact: Four out of five wildfires are started by humans.
Every year, between four and five million acres of US land is cleared by wildfires. These infernos can move up to 14 mph, burning up everything in their path. Depending on your location, your property may be at risk for one or more of these incidents each season. Do you have the proper coverage?
Homeowners insurance can provide the protection you need. Reach out to our office to review your coverage. We’ll ensure you have the policies in place to help you recover if disaster strikes in your area.
Have You Packed These Road Trip Essentials?
When you’re planning a road trip, the right supply checklist can help reduce hassles and enhance enjoyment during your journey. Here are a few essentials to include.
Car information. Keep your license, registration, insurance docs, and owner’s manual in the glove box.
Automotive essentials. A spare tire and a car emergency kit including booster cables, lights, and standard emergency gear are important. Take an empty gas can. Practice changing a tire, just in case.
Travel accessories. Have paper maps handy in case there’s no phone service. Stock bottled water and granola bars in case you’re stranded. Take a roll of toilet paper, tissues, and bug spray. A pen and notepad may be useful if your phone stops working.
Entertainment. Update your playlist. Take a book or two. Pack cards and board games. Download your favorite movies and shows from Amazon Prime or Netflix before you leave home so you have options in case there’s no Wi-Fi or cell service.
Comfort add-ons. Bring the little extras that will make your trip even smoother: sunglasses, rain gear, sunscreen, itch cream, travel mug, baby wipes, blanket, pillow.
Don’t Forget to Go Outside This Summer
Summer plans often include grandiose adventures: kayak and canoe trips, hiking, camping. If these outdoor activities are outside your comfort zone, don’t discard your sunscreen yet. There are plenty of simple ways to enjoy fresh air and sunshine this summer.
Revisit the pleasures of childhood: blow bubbles, play hopscotch, or throw a Frisbee. Keep in mind that campfires aren’t the only outdoor gatherings (although few tastes are as synonymous with summer nights as that of roasted marshmallows). Head out to a baseball game. Consider cheering for a local or minor league team. Plan a picnic at a nearby park or even in your yard. Lie on the grass and gaze at the stars. Visit water. Dangle your feet from a dock, gather seashells, or build a sandcastle.
Don’t let summer pass you by without having a little outdoor fun!
Worth Quoting
This month, some famous quotes on pictures:
Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.
Walt Disney
Wherever there are words, let there be pictures.
Chris Riddell
If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.
Robert Capa
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
Henry Ward Beecher
The world today doesn’t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?
Pablo Picasso
Objects in pictures should so be arranged as by their very position to tell their own story.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe