Safeguards for the Vacationing Homeowner

You have been looking forward to taking your “dream” vacation for many months. There are some simple steps you can take to protect your home while you are away, so your return doesn’t turn your dream into a nightmare.

According to the FBI, a burglary occurs every 14 seconds. Evidently burglars do not take vacations. Home break-ins peak in the popular vacation months of July and August and tend to occur in the day time when your neighbors are more likely to be away. Therefore, by taking a few proactive steps before you leave, your home will not become another statistic.

Alarm System

Make some noise!!!! Consider investing in an alarm system. Even a simple alarm (such as those which make a lot of noise) can scare a burglar away before he has a chance to enter your home. A Central Station type alarm (which ties directly into the local police or private vendor) may be your safest bet. With a sophisticated alarm system you may be able to save between 10-20% on your Homeowners insurance. 

Blinds and Curtains

Leave blinds or curtains in their normal position. A change to a constant open or closed window dressing may be a signal of your absence.

Deliveries

Suspend your mail and newspapers or arrange to have them picked up every day by one of your neighbors.

Entrances

Lock all external doors and windows. You may want to also disengage electric garage door openers while you are away. Door locks should be adequate; a deadbolt with a 1-inch bolt is best. A strong, securely fitted outside door may be your first level of defense. Some dead bolt locks may qualify for a discount on your homeowners insurance.

Telephones and Answering Machines

Have your calls forwarded to another number so burglars can’t verify that no one is home. Turn down the volume on both your telephone your answering machine, so they can’t be heard from the outside.

Landscape

Have your landscaping or snow removal services continue while you are away. Overgrown lawns and shrubs or unplowed driveways or walkways are red flags for burglars.

Lighting

Keep your home well lit. Use automatic timers on lights, radios and televisions to turn them on or off periodically throughout the day. Exterior lights should be mounted out of reach of burglars.

Valuables

Store your valuables in a secure location away from your home. Do not leave personal documents in your home office or desk. A safety deposit box is an inexpensive way to secure your valuables.

Computers

Turn all of your computers off. Never post the fact you are going on vacation on any social networking site. Avoid “away” messages on your personal email.

Identity Theft is one of the fastest growing white collar crimes in our country. Over 9 million people fall victim to it annually. Personal information on your computer or in your home can be used to steal your identity.

Taking the above simple steps may bring you the additional peace of mind you are seeking on vacation. So now that you are ready……enjoy your vacation!     

I am in my car on the way to work, making my way down Rt 6A on Cape Cod.  Looking out the window at the beautiful view is distraction enough; never mind having to worry about the other driver, distracted, on the cell phone or worse, texting.  I am slowing down, looking in my rear view and hoping they pay attention and look up in time to stop before rear ending me.  Or how many times has the vehicle coming in the opposite direction swerved over the line due to the fact they weren’t paying attention. Most of the time, they recover and it is fine… This has happened to all of us and for many different reasons.   

 

According to a 2007 Department of Transportation study, the United States is home to the largest passenger vehicle market of any country in the world.  It is estimated that there are 254.4 million registered passenger vehicles in the United States, and this number has steadily grown since the 1960’s.   Keeping these numbers in mind, along with the ever expanding mobile technology and the growing number of Americans who are using these applications while driving we have a huge problem on our hands. 

 

According to AAA, driver distractions are nothing new. It has been a topic of discussion since windshield wipers were introduced.  Using a cell phone while driving can increase your chances of being in an auto accident.  But research shows other distractions such as eating a sandwich, tending to children, conversing with a passenger or gazing at the passing landscape occur more frequently and can be just as distracting as cell phone use.  Now, just imagine the risks if you combine two or more of the tasks above. 

 
WILL BANNING HAND HELD CELL PHONES IMPROVE SAFETY?

 

Not according to some current research.  A study funded by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found the effects of cell phone use on driver attention is about as distracting as tuning a radio.  However, there have been no studies which show hands-free phones offer any safety advantages over hand held phones. 

 

Massachusetts has proposed legislation which will ban texting while driving for all drivers, including law enforcement.  Compromises between the House and the Senate will determine additional restrictions on calling and heftier sanctions for junior operators. 

 
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?

 

Educate:  Cooperation between policy makers, motor vehicle offices, motor clubs and insurance companies is key.  Everyone involved is working to develop educational approaches that will train drivers to recognize when they are being distracted and how it affects their driving.  The key is to learn how to manage those distractions.

  

TIPS FOR MANAGING DISTRACTIONS:

Before you get behind the wheel, familiarize yourself with vehicles features and equipment

Preset radio stations, MP3 devices and climate control

Secure items that may move around when the vehicle is in motion

Do not text message, access the internet, watch video, play video games, search MP3 devices, or use any other distracting technology while driving

Avoid smoking, eating, drinking or reading while driving

Pull safely off the road and out of traffic to deal with children

Do your personal grooming at home 

Review maps and driving directions before hitting the road

Don’t use cell phones while driving but if you must

Use only if absolutely necessary, let the other party know you are in the car and keep the conversation short.

Do not engage in emotional conversations while driving.  Pull off the road if necessary

If possible, ask the passenger in the car to place the call for you

WHAT IS TWINBROOK DOING TO HELP THE CAUSE?
 

Twinbrook Insurance in partnership with The Arbella Mutual Insurance Group Charitable Foundation is sponsoring a “Distractology” mobile training tour this September 20^th through the 24^th at Holbrook High School (245 S. Franklin St.) between the hours of 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

 
Distractology 101 is a crash course on distracted driving brought to you by Arbella Insurance Group.  The training is 45 minutes of instructional learning in a fun, interactive setting in the simulator with a follow up on line tutorial.   It is for new drivers with less than 3 years driving experience and it is FREE.  You DO NOT have to be a client of either Twinbrook or Arbella to participate. 

 

Once complete, the driver will get a $15 gas card and be entitled to a 7% premium discount on their Arbella auto insurance.  Please contact any of our Twinbrook offices to schedule an appointment. 

 
Please help us get the word out.  Just maybe we can help save lives.           

only about 3% of all flood losses are associated with beach front homes. Homes which are located in “high hazard” areas should consider purchasing flood insurance since they have a 26% change of having a flood loss over a 30 year mortgage.<< MORE >>

Homeowners Insurance:

 

Do you really needed Homeowners insurance, is it mandatory?

 

Unlike automobile insurance, homeowners insurance is not required by law. However, while we all have different levels of risk tolerance, it is probably safe to assume that none of us want to risk homelessness for the sake saving a few hundred dollars of premium.

The majority of us have taken out a mortgage to purchase our home. As a result, the question of whether or not we need homeowners insurance has already been answered by our lender. Any lender or bank which has provided you with a Mortgage, will want to protect their asset, therefore as a condition of the loan you will be required to purchase and maintain a homeowners policy on your home.

 

Ok I need it, but where can I get it and what do I need to do?

 

The answer is very simple, don’t try and do it on you own by using an on line website which guarantees you a low premium. Contact Twinbrook Insurance at 781-843-7000 or go to our website at www.twinbrook.com. Your home is probably your largest asset. You will want to work with an insurance professional. Twinbrook will assign one of our professional Account Representatives to work with you, they will identify your specific needs and will then find the best company and homeowners product for you.

 

How long is it going to take?

 

The process is very quick and easy. Your Account Representative will learn all they can about your home from various information sources, Assessor information, Real Estate listings etc. At this point we should be able to provide you with a premium estimate. In doing the premium estimate we’ll look at ALL of the companies we represent. We current represent over 12 homeowner insurance companies. This allows us the flexibility necessary to provide you with the “best” product to meet your needs and budget.  

 

Assuming you want to move forward there is some information we will not be able to obtain from our sources. We will work with you to complete a homeowner’s insurance  application. Once we have all of the information and the appropriate down payment (typically 10-20%), we will bind (secure) the coverage providing you or your lender with Evidence of Insurance and mail the application with the down payment to the company. It normally takes a couple weeks for the actual policy to get mailed to you from the company.

 

What did I just buy anyway?

 

A Homeowners insurance policy is a legal contract. You are required to pay the appropriate premium, in turn the company promises to pay you for covered losses which occur during the policy period, usually one year.

 

Since everyone’s needs are different, Homeowners polices may be different. However, your basic Homeowners policy contains the following parts;

Declarations Page:

It is usually the first page and contains summary information regarding the insured, coverage’s, cost and the insurance company assuming the risk.

 

The Definitions section:

Explains the meaning of terms used in the policy.

 

The Coverage Section:

Explains the extent in which you’re protected under both your property and liability coverage’s. Property coverage is for a loss to your own property or contents while liability coverage protects you against either property damage or bodily injury you may have caused others.

 

The Exclusions:

Details what is not covered by the policy. This may be one of the most important parts of the homeowner’s policy and it is your best interest to know what is not covered.

 

The Conditions:

This section explains the responsibilities of both you and the insurance company under the policy. Pay close attention to the duties and responsibilities you have in the event of a loss.

 

Endorsements:

Changes to the basic homeowner’s policy which add, remove or change standard coverage’s with in the policy. Once again, our Account Executive will use various endorsements to make the basic homeowner’s policy fit your specific needs.  

 

So what is covered?

 

 

Each homeowner’s policy covers you against a specific number of perils (events that cause damage to property). The most common perils include Fire, Windstorm and Theft.

 

1. Damage to real property:

 

Pays for damage to the structure (dwelling) identified in the Homeowners policy. The coverage limits will cover the cost of repairing or replacing the dwelling. Other structures not attached to the dwelling are also covered such as sheds, barns or detached garages. The “Other Structures” coverage limit is typically 10% of your dwelling coverage.

 

In addition, the personal belongings owned by you or by family members who live with you are covered. This coverage extends even to you and your family when traveling or living temporarily away from home, i.e. student living away at college. While the personal property coverage limit is normally 50% of dwelling, there may be additional limitations on specific personal items such as fine art and jewelry, which may need to be scheduled separately.

 

You should understand the difference between Actual Cash Value versus Replace Cost Coverage’.

 

Actual Cash Value is the amount of money it would cost to repair or replace the contents of your home AFTER depreciation (wear and tear). Most basic policies cover contents at ACV however you can add an endorsement, which changes it to replacement cost.

Replacement Cost is the amount of money it would take to replace, repair or rebuild your contents or dwelling at today’s prices.

 

Most homeowner’s policies require you to insure your dwelling up to at least 80% of replacement cost. Therefore, it is critical that correct information is placed on the application and that the coverage limits keep up with inflation. Failure to maintain adequate coverage limits will result in a reduction in claim payments, including any claim for a partial loss.  This is why is it important to work with an agency like Twinbrook who reviews your policy annually.

 

It is important that if you make any significant change (improvements) to your home, you should communicate the changes to Twinbrook, who can determine whether or not the changes have an impact on your total replacement cost..

 

2. Loss of Use:

 

The property damage caused by a covered loss may require you to obtain alternative living arrangements. Your homeowner’s policy will cover the cost (motels, meals etc) BUT there may be limitations as to the duration of coverage. The coverage limit is typically 20% of your dwelling amount.

 

3. Personal Liability:

 

Protects you against a claim or lawsuit alleging bodily injury or property damage as a result of your (including family members who live with you) negligence. Auto and business related lawsuits are not included. You will want to make sure the coverage limit with in the policy is adequate. Twinbrook suggest a minimum coverage limit of $500,000.

 

4. Medical Payments:

 

Pays for medical expenses for persons (not living with you) who are accidently injured on your property, regardless of fault. Twinbrook recommends you maintain a coverage limit of $5,000.

 

I guess we have covered the basics, is there anything else I should know about coverage’s?

 

Yes, as we have indicated we all have different needs but in addition to the basic coverage’s, there are some endorsements in which may be beneficial.

 

Extended Coverage:

 

This will provide for additional dwelling coverage beyond the amount shown on the declarations page. Typically, it is limited to 25-50% of dwelling coverage. The increase in premium is minor.

 

Replacement Cost:

 

It provides for Replacement Cost on all contents. You will definitely want to make sure you have this coverage included in your policy.

 

Ordinance or Law:

 

It will provide you with additional coverage from any ordinance or law which may have changed during the policy and it may adversely affect you home. A common example, when replacing a loss there may be changes in building codes which were not in effect when the property was built or remodeled.

 

Inflation Guard:

 

This coverage will automatically increase the dwelling limit in order to stay in line with inflation. Failure to have this protection in place will result over time in your home becoming under insured, which may have an adverse impact on any claims settlement.     

 

Scheduled Personal Property:

 

This is additional coverage which will provide coverage above the personal property limits in your basic homeowner’s policy. It will cover personal possessions such as jewelry, furs antiques, fine arts etc.  This is very important coverage if you have a large amount of jewelry. The premium will depend upon the items scheduled and their current value. 

 

The above are only several of the many endorsements which may be made to your policy to enhance your coverage.  Your Account Representative will work with you to identify your needs and will suggest endorsements which will cover your needs.

 

 

 

           

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