Better Insurance Jacksonville

Four Steps To Help You Ensure Your Most Valuable Items Are Covered On Your Homeowner's Insurance In Jacksonville, FL

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:29:04 -0500

What do holidays, special occasions, and inheritances often have in common? If you guessed the acquisition of a new possession, then you’d be right. While excited about your new big-screen, appliance, jewelry, antique, art, or other valuable item, you need to be mindful that acquiring such also increases the monetary value of your home contents. Your homeowner’s insurance should be updated to adjust for additions that add significant value. Here are four steps that can help you ensure your most valuable items are covered:

Home Inventory

Go through your home periodically and take note of the most valuable items, as these are the items you want to ensure are insured against damage or loss from events like theft or fire. For most, these items usually consist of electronics, jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, appliances, and rare items. If an item would be hard or impossible for you to replace, then it should be included. Also keep in mind that standard policies usually limit firearm coverage since they are commonly targeted by thieves.

Home Inventory Appraisal

Some items are more difficult than others to give a value, especially antique or sentimental items. A professional appraisal can be very helpful in finding out the true value of an item. It’s also very useful in estate planning.

Home Inventory Documentation

Any item on your home inventory list should be visually documented with a camera or video camera. This will speed up the claim process. Make sure the shots are clear and show the details of the item. It’s also a good idea to get a wide shot of each wall in every room of your home. You may store the photos or tape in a safe deposit box and/or upload them to an online photo storage site like Flicker or Photobucket.

Coverage Examination

Many homeowners have no idea what’s covered by their homeowner’s insurance until disaster strikes and they’re trying to submit a claim. Don’t leave yourself in the dark and compound emotional loss with financial loss. You may very well find yourself trying to replace expensive items out of your own pocket.

Make sure that you carefully examine your homeowner’s insurance policy so that you don’t suddenly discover a loss isn’t covered. You should pay close attention to any category that contains exclusions or limits losses to a specific dollar amount. You’ve already done an inventory and appraisal. Now, it’s time to compare the value of the items on your inventory list to your existing coverage. You should make sure that the coverage is suffice to compensate you should you suffer a theft or disaster-related loss. If you note any discrepancies or have any questions or concerns, then you should schedule a policy review with your insurance agent.

Jacksonville Drivers! Study Shows Driving while Drowsy is Dangerous!

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:33:00 -0500

The Prevalence and Impact of Drowsy Driving, a brand new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, indicates that two in every five surveyed drivers admit that they have fallen asleep at some point in time while driving. Of those drivers responding in the survey, over a quarter admitted being so sleepy as to have had difficulty keeping their eyes open during their past month of driving time.

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The study was partly based on the responses that 2,000 Americans gave to telephone surveys. According to the responses, researchers found that one in ten drivers reported falling asleep in the past year of driving. The researchers pointed out that one of the biggest mistakes made by drivers is simply underestimating just how tired they really are and overestimating their capability of dealing with tiredness while driving.

Another portion of the analyzed data was derived from crash data that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) collected during 2008 and 1999. From this data, researchers estimated that 16.5% or around one in every six fatal road and highway crashes involved someone driving while drowsy. More than half of all driving while drowsy accidents involved a single vehicle leaving its appropriate traveling lane. It further found that lane departure accidents were almost seven time more likely than alternative types of drowsy driver crashes. Thirteen percent or around one in every eight of road and highway vehicle crashes required hospitalization. Other interesting statistics among crash-involved drivers include:

* Men were 61% more likely than women to have been drowsy.

* Those drivers under 25-years-old were 78% more likely to be drowsy than their counterparts over 40- years-old.

* Single drivers were 81% more likely to have been drowsy than those with a passenger.

Researchers say that the main component is attitude, as there seems to be an overwhelming amount of drivers that are indifferent or complacent about driving safety; highway and roadway crashes and tragedy are seemingly acceptable and thought of as the price to be paid for enjoying the extensive mobility afforded to Americans. There doesn’t seem to be any consideration by drowsy drivers toward the fact that they are not only placing themselves at a risk, but putting every single person on American roadways and highways at risk too.

In relation to travel, experts suggest starting off early and getting a good night’s sleep instead of starting extended travel following a regular work day. Using common sense about driving and tiredness is also recommended - if tired, don’t start driving and if driving tired, do whatever necessary to remove oneself from the roadway until rest is obtained.

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Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:08:12 -0500

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Paying Too Much for Auto Insurance?

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:21:00 -0500

To paraphrase President Barack Obama, if you are still feeling the effects of the economic recession, then the recession is not over for you. And chances are good that you may be among those who are still trying to pinch every penny and save money wherever and whenever they can. But have you thought about saving on your car insurance? Car insurance premiums represent a significant chunk of your income each year, so it only makes sense that you should make sure that you are not paying too much for necessary coverage. If you are not getting some of these car insurance discounts, then you are likely paying more than you should:

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Safe driver who obeys traffic laws? Discount! The number one determining factor when your car insurance premiums are being calculated is your driving history and the driving history of other drivers on your policy. In fact, many insurers appreciate a good driver that they are willing to knock ten percent off the cost of your insurance for having a clean driving record. Now that’s significant!

Are you an older driver? Discount! Drivers over fifty are often eligible for many discounts on their car insurance. More and more companies are rewarding older drivers for their experience behind the wheel.

Have you taken a defensive driving course? Discount! Defensive driving courses can help you to become a better, safer driver, and your car insurance company knows this. If you can provide proof of taking a qualified defensive driving course, you can score additional savings.

Is your teen driver on the honor roll at her school? Discount! Students who make good grades may be eligible for a discount, as can those students who take a driver’s education course. It pays to be smart!

Is your car equipped with special features? Discount! Airbags, daytime running lights, anti-lock brakes and anti-theft devices are just some of the equipment that might qualify you for savings.

Compare Auto Insurance Rates and Save Even More

Other than qualifying for discounts on your car insurance, you can also reduce the cost of your car insurance by comparing rates with top companies. The quickest and most efficient way to compare rates is to contact a professional insurance agent. Many drivers find that they are able to save thirty percent or more off the cost of car insurance if it’s been a while since their last review.