February 2023 Newsletter

The idea of someone rummaging through your house, destroying your possessions and taking your valuables is a horrible thought, so don’t make your home easy prey for burglars. Here are some tips straight from an ex-burglar on how to keep them out.

Put ladders away. Really? You may ask, but an opportunistic burglar will see a ladder outside your property and think about how easy it will be to reach your second-story window, which may well be unlocked. Store a ladder in your basement or a locked garage.

One man’s trash. Putting your trash somewhere hidden may sound unrelated, but a potential burglar will be able to see if you’ve just unboxed anything shiny and new. A little root around in the trash will help a potential thief know who to rob.

Keep your yard tidy. Big trees and shrubs make it so much easier for a burglar to hide out of plain sight. They can spend hours safely tucked away while they wait for you to go out and leave the house unprotected. Bonus: make sure entry points are easily visible from the street.

Strong exterior doors. A wood panel door is easy enough to kick through for a burglar with intent to rob you. Consider investing in steel-wrapped exterior doors with deadbolts.

Lock all your windows. Yes, even the tiny ones and the ones on the upper levels.

Don’t leave your home alone. When you go away, make sure to ask a neighbor or friend to come over daily and check on the house, preferably at different times. Make sure anyone who could be casing your home knows this house won’t be idle for long.

If you’re unsure about how your insurance policy holds up in the event of a burglary, call or email us.

Shopping for home insurance can be tough. It’s not always easy to know which is the best route to take, and you can end up paying out thousands of dollars for something you don’t need. Here are some useful tips to save on your home insurance.

This might not sound like something you want to do, but if you live in a relatively safe area that isn’t prone to rapidly changing weather, it may be a good idea to raise your deductible. It could bring your monthly insurance costs down by hundreds of dollars. Of course, this also means if you do have an accident, you’ll have to shell out more.

If you’ve kept your coverage with the same insurance provider for a while, you’re more likely to receive a special discount for your loyalty. It’s worth looking into.

A good credit score is something that will aid you in all walks of life, even when it comes to buying home insurance. Insurers use credit information to determine homeowner policy costs. So make sure you pay those bills on time.

Every year, you should sit down and review your policy. Not only could the value of your home have changed but also the amount and the cost of the possessions inside of it.

If you would like to review your policy or you'd like more tips on how to save on home insurance, call or email us. We're always here to help.

International Women’s Day is on March 8 each year, providing an opportunity for us to reflect on the little-known pioneers whose work we may not have heard of due to gender inequality. One such pioneer is the mathematician Dr. Gladys West, whose work contributed to the GPS technology we now rely on for navigation and communication, including in our space programs! Today we take GPS maps for granted, but in the 1970s and 1980s, this technology was groundbreaking.

Born into a rural community in Virginia, West saw education as her ticket out of the countryside. After graduating from high school, she went on to attend college at Virginia State University. It wasn’t typical to see women studying mathematics at the time, with West herself saying “You felt a little bit different” to be a woman in a field dominated by men.

When early computers were adopted by the scientific community, West had to shift her work away from paper equations and logic by learning how to program. She worked passionately on creating complicated algorithms, which she programmed into an IBM 7030 (aka Stretch) computer. Using this, she designed a geodetic model that mapped the shape of the earth while factoring in how gravitational pull and tidal forces may impact it. This model was game-changing, as it came to underpin the GPS satellite system.

Dr. Gladys West has finally been credited for her role in scientific advancement, being inducted into the US Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018.

We all have amazing women in our lives. They might be a mother, a sister, a friend or a partner. Someone who has encouraged us, listened to us and supported us. Brilliant women are often undervalued, which is why we celebrate International Women's Day on March 8. But why wait for a special reason to celebrate the women in your life? Find ways to make them feel appreciated every day by taking some inspiration from this list.

Write it down. Don’t underestimate the power of a handwritten card, note or letter. There is something thoughtful about taking the time to express yourself on paper rather than shooting a quick text. Write about the ways she adds value to your life and let her know her effort doesn’t go unnoticed.

Anticipate her needs. Women often spend their time anticipating the needs of others, so take a minute to consider her needs instead. Think of the ways you could make her day easier.

Tokens of Tokens of appreciation. Receiving a small gift out of the blue is a lovely surprise and could brighten up her day. It doesn’t need to be extravagant: think of flowers, chocolate, a new notebook, a sleep mask or a gift card for her preferred coffee shop.

Take a trip. It’s important to spend quality time with the women you care about, so find a way to have some fun together. Go somewhere new or revisit a familiar favorite.

Good mood food. Is there anything better than being treated to a nice meal? Liven up your lunch break and visit the cute café down the road. You could take charge in the kitchen, book a restaurant for dinner or even order some delicious takeout.

So you’ve just bought your dream wheels, a classic Mustang Shelby GT350 or a sleek Jag E-Type, but now comes the puzzle of insuring it. Buying a classic car means buying a specific type of insurance: classic car insurance.

Why do you need special insurance? The same way you need a specific insurance policy to protect your jewelry or expensive art, antique cars in good condition increase in value and therefore need more specialized insurance. They can also be more prone to breaking down and harder to fix, so this is also included.

How does it work? It works very similarly to an average auto policy, except it accounts for your vehicle’s agreed value.

Usage. Classic cars are not the school run minivans. Part of classic car insurance means it can’t be the car you regularly drive.

Storage. Equally, you can’t just leave it on the street. Most clauses in classic car insurance policies require your car to be stored in a private garage.

Drivers. You can’t have points on your license or have been arrested for a DUI if you want your best chance at taking out this policy.

Physical damage. Classic car insurance will cover collision and comprehensive coverage specialized on the agreed value of the car.

Damages you cause to others. That’s right, classic car insurance providers will, in most cases, cover the minimum liability required by your state. Some providers will match your regular auto policy.

Roadside assistance. Out for a little joyride and broken down? There is usually an option with most providers to include breakdown coverage and full-service roadside assistance.

Confused? Call or email us and we will walk you through finding the best policy for you.