Heading Out of Town? Remember These Driver Safety Tips
Americans love their road trips and head out in vast numbers to visit relatives, camp, fish, hunt, visit resorts and theme parks, or enjoy our beautiful country. Before you leave town on your road trip, take the time to review these driver safety tips – they could save a life.
A Vehicle Check-Up
Before any long trip, ensure your vehicle is in top running condition. Have a professional mechanic check the brakes, lights, windshield wipers, and the condition of your tires, and other systems so you are less likely to have a breakdown or be involved in a dangerous accident.
Prepare for the Weather
Every region of the USA has unique weather conditions, from unbearable heat in the South, to rain, snow, and ice in the North and East. Wherever you plan to travel, take the weather conditions into account. Encountering a blizzard while traveling to visit family for a holiday can be a frightening experience, particularly if you are unfamiliar with winter driving conditions.
A significant percentage of auto accidents occur in inclement weather. Ensure you are equipped for any weather you may experience by bringing flares, extra blankets, water, and food. If you encounter severe weather conditions, pull over, or stop for the night rather than trying to reach your destination. If you are in an accident with another vehicle or your car, SUV, or van breaks down, it could be many hours before help arrives.
Emergency Supplies
Never leave on a road trip without emergency supplies in your trunk or in your vehicle. These would include a portable cell phone charging device, flashlight, blankets, flares, water, imperishable food such as protein bars, and a first aid kit. A small shovel can prove to be a lifesaver if you are stranded in a snowbank. Always ensure that if your vehicle is running, that the tailpipe is free from snow to avoid the risk of exhaust fumes entering your vehicle while you try to stay warm.
Get Enough Sleep.
Driving long distances takes energy and focus. Never start a road trip without ensuring you have had enough sleep. If you get tired during your travels, don’t push it – pull over and rest. Drowsy driving is as dangerous as drunk driving, as reported by the NHTSA.
Follow the Rules of the Road
You may want to get to your destination as fast as possible, but ensure you are aware of the speed limits and follow the rules of the road. The speed limits posted are not safe in harsh weather, so slow down. Always use your signals to change lanes and be particularly careful if you are on a highway with many commercial trucks. Be a road safety fanatic.
Children and Vehicle Safety
If you have young children, it is natural that they are easily bored on long road trips. Ensure that they are safe and snug in an approved car seat, and if they need a break, stop – but keep them secured in a car seat while the vehicle is moving, in every case.
Ensure Your Insurance is Up to Date
Your personal insurance policies can be a lifesaver when something goes wrong. If you are planning a road trip, we invite you to meet with one of our local agents to review your coverage and make sure you have all the insurance you will need if an emergency occurs while on the road or away from home.
Celebrate Small Business Saturday
Why Shop Small? The COVID-19 pandemic altered a lot of ways we shop. When we couldn’t roam around stores, we got accustomed to ordering online and having packages shipped to our doorsteps. Communities of all sizes saw a hit, with an estimated 50% of small businesses closing across the world. Now more than ever, our […]
The Sooner You Take These End-of-Life Considerations into Account, the Better
No one really wants to prepare for their own death. But planning for your estate is an important aspect of your financial strategy. The sooner you have the basic documents in order, the better for your family’s financial future. The following are basic estate planning documents you may want to include in your package.
Will
Your Will dictates who will receive your assets when you die and under what conditions. If you have minor children, you can name guardians for them in your Will. You can also name an executor or personal representative to carry out the instructions in your Will and trustees to manage trusts created under your Will.
Revocable Trust
A funded revocable trust can be created to ensure a trustee of your choosing can act on your behalf in case you become incapacitated during your lifetime. A revocable trust also allows you to avoid probate, because the assets are transferred to the trust before your death.
Power of Attorney
A power of attorney gives your attorney-in-fact (the person you name) the authority to act and sign documents on your behalf. Your attorney-in-fact may need to act for you if you become incapacitated or if you are traveling and unavailable to act for yourself. You may want to have a revocable trust in place for investment management purposes and a power of attorney for other purposes, including handling assets not transferred to the trust.
Health Care Power of Attorney
Also known as a health care proxy, a health care power of attorney gives someone you select the power to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to do so. For example, if you were in a coma, your health care proxy (the person named in your health care power of attorney) could make decisions for you regarding the treatment options presented by your doctors.
Living Will
This document is designed to clearly state your wishes with respect to your treatment in specific health situations to your medical providers and your health care proxy. Depending on your wishes, it may include a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. This is a directive to hospital staff and health care professionals not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if your heart stops or you stop breathing.
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust
The purpose of an irrevocable life insurance trust is to receive and hold life insurance proceeds. It allows these funds to be available to your beneficiaries without being included in the taxable estates of either you or your spouse. An irrevocable life insurance trust can be particularly helpful if your surviving family members need money soon after your death for living expenses or to pay estate taxes.
Life Insurance Policy
Of course, you also need a life insurance policy to provide the death benefits that go into your irrevocable life insurance trust. Buying life insurance is a good way to make sure your family is provided for after your death. There are many different life insurance options. If you do not currently have a policy or want more life insurance coverage, our knowledgeable agent can help.
Candle Fire Prevention: 10 Easy Tips
From pumpkin spice to winter pine to strawberry shortcake, there are a plethora of candle scents to choose from—not to mention the endless styles candles come in. Whatever your go-to candle is, now is definitely the season to burn it. But did you know candles are the culprit of 7,610 home fires each year?* December […]
How to Promote Your Brand for Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2021, this holiday falls on November 27. This is the day set aside to support small businesses in the U.S. It was started by American Express in 2010 to bring more holiday shopping to small businesses.
In 2016, 112 million consumers across the nation participated in this event by shopping and dining with small businesses, as stated on businesswire.com. This upcoming holiday is a great opportunity to promote your brand, and here are some ideas on how to do it.
Offer Special Promotions
Many consumers like to shop on Small Business Saturday to have fun, save money, and get ahead on their holiday gift-buying. Special promotions can help your business stand out from the crowd. For example, you can offer:
- A free gift with a purchase
- Bundled services and/or products suitable for gifts
- Sale prices on specific products or services
- Buy one, get one free, or buy one, get one at a discount specials
Market By Email
Use your email list to let people know in advance what your business is planning for Small Business Saturday. This is a great cost-effective way to promote your specials and help bring customers into your business. As luck would have it, American Express provides email marketing templates specifically for Small Business Saturday, in addition to other resources, according to your industry.
Use Social Media
Post on your social media profiles to promote Small Business Saturday and other specials. You might want to upgrade your profiles with new cover photos for the occasion. American Express makes resources available for profile updates. As another option, you can use Canva to create graphics that will promote your brand.
Cross-Promote
Cross-promotion involves promoting different brand products with similar audiences but not in competition with each other. It can help boost sales and create brand awareness. It provides a way for businesses that do not compete to cooperate for mutual benefit. With cross-promotion, it is important to choose the right partner and select the best channels for promotion.
Utilize Business Directories
Set up a Google My Business account or update your business profile to capture attention from consumers and to connect with your customers. You can also use the small business directory provided by American Express to help drive customers in for Small Business Saturday shopping. Properly optimized business directories can significantly increase foot and website traffic.
Use Local Media
Publish a write-up for Small Business Saturday in a local newspaper or online publication. For example, it could be an article on the history of your business or a piece on the importance of Small Business Saturday and the role of small businesses in the economy. End your article by promoting your specials for the holiday.
If you own a small business, you undoubtedly know the importance of having the right business insurance to protect you against various risks. Our agent can help ensure your small business has the insurance coverage it needs.
How to Keep Your Pets Happy and Protected
Having pets is both a joy and a responsibility. Our four-legged friends become members of the family whose health, happiness, and safety matters a great deal. The following tips can help you keep your beloved pets protected, while also keeping them happy.
Don’t Share Food With Your Pets
A number of the foods we eat can be harmful to animals. For example, dogs should not be given chocolate, grapes, onions, garlic, avocados, caffeine, or xylitol. Chives, shallots, leeks, scallions, onions, and garlic are particularly harmful to cats. The list of potentially harmful human foods is long, so it might be best to stick with dog or cat food, unless you are certain a food is safe for your pet to eat.
Give Them Good Food
Proper nutrition is critical to your pet’s health. Ask your vet’s advice on which brands to buy, and don’t skimp on quality.
Pet-Proof Your Home
Like children, pets can be playful, inquisitive, and mischievous. Just as you would childproof with a toddler, you also need to pet-proof with a cat or dog. Keep plastic wrappers, cords and wires, toxic plants, and small or sharp objects away from your pets. Do this in your yard as well as your home.
Spend Time With Your Pets
Animals get bored and lonely, the same as humans. It is important to play with your pets, take them for walks, and give them love every day. Exercise and a change of scenery can make a world of difference in your pets’ state of mind. You can also help keep them entertained by giving them fun toys to play with.
Keep Up With the Grooming
Pets need bathing, brushing, nail clipping, and regular dental care – just as we do. Maintaining a regular beauty care routine can help keep your pet looking and feeling fantastic.
Put a Collar On Your Pet
Collars are important for several reasons. They let other people know your pet has an owner who they should look for if your pet somehow escapes. They provide a way for another person to gently restrain your pet if necessary. Collars also provide a place to put contact information in case your pet should become lost.
Provide Preventative Care
Preventative care consists of little things that can make a big difference to your pet. These include vaccinations, parasite control, microchipping, and ID tags. Preventative care coverage can be added to a pet insurance plan. It covers services such as screenings and wellness exams that help your vet detect any health issues early.
Purchase a Pet Insurance Plan
Health insurance is essential for humans, and the same is becoming true for pets. If your dog or cat becomes ill or injured, you naturally want to provide the best of care. A pet insurance plan can make pet healthcare more available, including treatment for illnesses, injuries, and wellness care. Our agent can help you find a pet insurance plan that provides the most pet healthcare coverage for the best available price.
Holiday Safety Roundup: Our 11 Most Popular Tips
The holiday season is a time to unwind, connect and finish the year with warmth and good cheer. Just make sure that you don’t let safety take a holiday. With errands to run and guests to entertain, it’s easy to get distracted. So amid all the hustle and bustle, take a breath. With a little […]
What Is A Personal Umbrella Policy?
I’m a safe driver. I don’t do risky things. Someone I know would never sue me. When it comes to truly terrible events, many people have the “it can’t happen to me” mentality. However, by simply driving a car, owning a home or entertaining friends, the possibility exists that a tragic accident could occur… and […]
Checklist: How To Winterize Your Home To Save Money and Energy
Fall Home Maintenance Checklist Indoors: Windows and doors: Prevent chilly drafts (and pricey heating bills) by checking and replacing any worn weather stripping and caulking any cracks. For loose-fitting doors, slide a draft guard or rolled-up towel underneath to fill the gap. Drapes, curtains, shades and blinds can also help reduce heat loss, according to energy.gov. […]
Employer-Provided Life Insurance: What You Need to Know
Life insurance is a popular feature of employee benefits packages. Many employers provide basic group life free of charge to their employees. More Americans have workplace plans than individual life insurance plans, as reported in a NerdWallet article.
If your employer offers free or low-cost basic group life, there is no reason not to accept it. Enrollment is automatic in some cases. Although it is a great perk, there are some things you should know about employer-provided life insurance.
It May Not Be Enough Coverage
Coverage amounts are low with group term life insurance, typically ranging from $25,000 to a multiple of the employee’s annual salary. Death benefits may not be enough to protect your family if something should happen to you.
You may be able to purchase supplemental life insurance through your work plan. Although coverage is usually guaranteed with basic group life, you may have to complete a health questionnaire to get supplemental life insurance, and the results will be used to determine your eligibility and rates.
The Policy May Not Be Portable
Coverage with employer-provided life insurance is usually tied to the job. If you leave your current employment, you may not be able to take the policy with you. Although you may have the option to convert your group policy to an individual life insurance policy, the cost could increase significantly.
You could buy a policy on the open market, but the cost goes up as you grow older. If you leave your job 10 years from now, lose your group life insurance, and purchase an individual policy to replace it, your premiums will be higher than they would be if you bought life insurance today.
Your Choices Are Limited
Most employer-provided life insurance is a type of term life. This type of life insurance covers you for a specified term, such as 10, 20, or 30 years. You probably won’t have the option to buy permanent life insurance through work. Most employers work with only one insurance carrier, which further limits your policy options. If you are interested in purchasing permanent life insurance, such as whole life or universal life, speak with our knowledgeable agent.
Your Spouse May Not Have Sufficient Coverage
Your employer’s benefits package may not provide life insurance for your spouse. Even if it does, the coverage amount is likely to be a minimal $100,000. A spouse’s death can put a huge strain on family finances, even if the deceased spouse did not work or earned a lower amount.
You May Get More Value For Your Money Elsewhere
If your employer offers free basic life insurance, naturally you will want to take advantage of it. But what about supplemental life insurance available through your work plan? You are paying for this coverage, so it makes sense to shop around.
If you can find an individual policy that suits your needs for a comparable price, or even a little more, it may be your best option because of its portability. Our agent can help you find the right life insurance policy to protect your loved ones.