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Many of us avoid or delay decision making. Especially if we are dealing with a new set of issues. Decision making can be extremely stressful.
It’s not surprising that first-time parents report elevated levels of stress and anxiety. In a relatively brief time period they will be expected to make a large number of often critical decesions.
Before you can take your newborn home you will have to decide which Child Safety Seat is right for your situation. The car seat is vital for your child’s safety! The child’s car seat comes down to your judgment and perceived importance of seat safety options, the seat integration to your vehicle, budget, and other factors relating to what best fits your family. Safety is obviously paramount, but you also have to consider Georgia Car Seat Laws. These laws have been designed with your child’s safety in mind and should provide valuable insights. Make sure you’re up to date with the car seat laws in your state and review your vehicle manual for proper fitting.
According to Georgia Consumer Protection: The 4 Steps for kids car seats are: 1. Rear-Facing Infant Seats in the back seat from birth to at least one year old and at least 20 pounds. 2. Forward-Facing Toddler Seats in the back seat from age one to about age four and 20 to 40 pounds. 3. Booster Seats in the back seat from about age four and 40 pounds to at least age eight, unless 4’9”. 4. Safety Belts at age eight or older, or taller than 4’9”. All children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat.
According to www.safety.com: (Updated April 16, 2020)
Bringing Home Your Newborn? You should consider the Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat.
Want a Child Car Seat that adapts to the changing needs? Look into the Graco 4Ever DLX 4-1 Infant to Toddler Car Seat. This seat can be used in any of the four different positions.
Still, driving a small car? There’s a child safety seat for you. The Graco SlimFit 3-1 Convertible Car Seat is for those parents still fight to keep the choice of vehicle. Wait there’s more the SlimFit 3-1 is another Child Car Seat designed to adapt with your child growth. This seat has been designed for children between 5 and 100 pounds.
A Child Passenger Safety Technician can show you how to install or inspected this critical addition to your auto.
Need help installing your Child Safety Seat? Maybe you need the comfort of a second opinion. Regradless, the organizations listed below have provided a helping hand for new parents in the past. You may want to make a quick call beforehand. Below is a list of places you can call and schedule an appointment to have a Child Passenger Safety Technician show you how to install your car seat or have it inspected.
I hate this seat belt. I can never get it fastened.
Most properly licensed persons who drive cars (including vans, SUVs, hybrids, crossovers or pickup trucks) are eligible for policies designed for standard and preferred drivers. In the insurance world, standard and preferred refer to those who typically:
·Drive vehicles that are relatively inexpensive to repair or replace
·Do not use their cars for business
·Have good driving habits
·Do not suffer impairments that seriously affect their ability to drive
·Do not rack up an inordinate amount of annual mileage
·Have few accidents and/or traffic violation
Drivers who fall outside of the typical range of vehicle operators qualify as non-standard drivers.
Expensive Auto Insurance
Generally, non-standard drivers cause more losses so insurance companies may charge them substantially higher premiums or restrict the amount and type of coverage. Besides charging higher premiums, non-standard insurers often charge additional amounts for tickets and accidents. Limits are controlled by offering limits that match what is required by state laws or offering limits slightly higher than these minimums, but which are far less than what is provided by standard and preferred programs. Non-standard programs often are more restrictive, excluding coverage for situations such as special or custom vehicle features (stereo systems, custom wheels, special paint jobs, engine enhancements, etc.). These programs may also bar coverage for more situations, such as when a loss involves a car that the driver has either rented or borrowed.
Being classified as a non-standard driver is often a temporary situation that can change with the passage of time, such as newly licensed drivers, or drivers who had a period of several tickets or accidents. Other situations involve the opposite, where drivers may be re-classified because of having a medical impairment or who reach a very advanced age. Other reasons for re-classification may be due to the vehicle, such as operating a car that is too old to be written by standard insurers, as well as cars that are highly customized, are very expensive or are designed for higher performance.
There are a number of reasons why a driver’s only option is the non-standard market, including merely having a preference for a minimum amount of insurance protection. However, it is a market that provides full coverage (protecting against legal liability for causing loss to others and protecting against damage to one’s own vehicle), though the coverage is not as broad or economical as what is available from the standard market. Regardless, this market performs a critical role that permits a greater number of drivers and vehicles to get needed insurance protection.
COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2017
All rights reserved. Production or distribution, whether in whole or in part, in any form of media or language; and no matter what country, state or territory, is expressly forbidden without written consent of Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc.
Auto Dealers don’t have a big enough basement when a storm is bearing down.
What is a Dealer’s Blanket? It has nothing to do with auto dealer giveaways. The Dealer’s Blanket is a form of business insurance that provides physical damage coverage for Auto Dealers. You may have heard it referred to as Open Lot Insurance or Dealers Open Lot Insurance. Regardless of the name, this policy is essential protection for many car lots.
Consider your own car insurance. In many ways, the Dealer’s Blanket looks similar to your personal auto policy. The primary purpose of the policy is to provide protection against dealer loss. Specifically, losses resulting from comprehensive and collision protection. While there are many similarities, there are also some significant differences.
Personal Auto policies provide liability coverages. Liability coverage is not the purpose of the Dealer’s Blanket. It is a coverage that they have access to, but it is not provided by the Dealer’s Blanket. Liability protection for auto dealers is provided by the Garage Liability Policy.
Insurance companies require Georgia individuals to provide identification to insure their autos. We refer to this identification as a VIN or vehicle identification number. This serves two main purposes. First, it gives insurers a nearly fail-proof input for pricing their exposure as it relates to your specific vehicle.
While the VIN provides accurate information related to the vehicle’s replacement cost. What it fails to do is provide insights into the present condition of your vehicle. To address this shortcoming, you may even go as far as require you to provide a current photo of your car.
Individuals insure against comprehensive and collision risk. For the most, new and used car dealerships insure against the same. What differences exist?
Auto Dealer insurance specialist in the Low Country and Georgia’s Coastal Empire
Auto Dealers in Georgia and other states use the Dealer’s Blanket to transfer comp and collision risks. What is the Dealer Blanket and why auto dealers need them?
Individuals are likely to have the same vehicle all year. Most will own vehicles for many years, some several decades. Used and new auto dealers can’t stay in business by holding on to cars for years or decades.
Successful auto dealerships turn their inventory several times each year. The average US Car Dealer’s inventory turnover is more than 13 times. A dealer with an average inventory of 50 cars would have 650 policy endorsements each year. Those policy changes would be required just to keep up with the new inventory vehicles. To avoid overpaying, they would also need 650 approvals to remove sold vehicles. That would present a serious problem! Making over four insurance transactions every business day seems inefficient. Creating issuers for both the dealer and the insurance company. With so many transactions, it’s also possible the process may put the dealership at risk. Failing to record just one transaction could end in a multimillion-dollar loss. Not a claim! Failure to record a newly purchased vehicle is a problem. the sale was never recorded on the books of the insurance company, the auto lot will be on the hook financially. How many Georgia auto dealers do you know that could serve such a substantial loss.
Let’s give the insurance companies some credit. Recording real-time vehicle information was throughout the policy year doesn’t work. With that said, how do Insurance companies keep track of Georgia Auto Dealer risk?
How to Auto dealers address comp and collision risk.?
Comp and collision is priced and transferred via the Dealer’s Blanket. How it’s done varies between insurance companies and between dealers. If you’re a Georgia car lot, you must understand how your risk and premiums are calculated. The insurance company can not be expected to know how your business changes. Often, the difference between good and bad insurance boils down to communications. Having a good a local Georgia insurance agent can go along way. This thought is easy If your one of those people that respect the value of local contacts.
Insurance markets can not totally eliminate risk. The only way to totally eliminate risk is to avoid it. For those in the business of selling vehicles, this is not an appealing option. The Dealer’s Blanket is a great way to transfer risk. But, it is critical that all parties are on the same page. Problems are largely dependant on establishing the necessary communication process. A critial first step is understanding the Dealer’s Blanket. Combined with accurately communicating auto inventories, car deals can significantly reduce financial exposures.
WARNING: Accurate Inventory Critical
Auto Dealers can easily protect their inventory. Calculating the required coverage can be sticky at times. Photo Credit attribution 1
There are two primary approaches to calculating dealer open lot premium:
Non-Reporting Forms – This method is most often used by smaller used car dealers. Georgia Car lots with inventories of $100,000 or less will in most cases use the Non-Reporting method. This may not necessarily be by their choice. Often the cost associated with the monthly reporting eliminates dealers with smaller inventories.
At the beginning of each policy period, the dealer must declare a coverage amount. CAUTION REQUIRED! When a loss occurs, and a claim is submitted, the insurance company will most likely review and calculate the dealer’s inventory. If it is higher than the declared amount, THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM. The underreporting will likely trigger the coinsurance clause. As a result, the dealership will bear the financial responsibility for the difference.
Monthly Reporting Form – This method requires the dealer to periodically update the insurance carrier. This forces dealers to take on additional work, but this method is cost-effective. It always reduces concerns associated with paying coinsurance.
The Dealer’s Blanket is important. But there are many additional coverages that Georgia Dealerships should consider. Some of the most common insurance coverages for Auto Dealers include:
Commercial Property
Business Personal Property
Workers Comp
Business Income
Garage Liability
Garagekeepers
EPLI
Business Income
and Cyber Liability.
We mentioned GarageKeepers, which is another coverage that is specific to the Auto Industry. This coverage protects vehicles of customers that have been left in your care. Dealers that also offer repair work will most likely need to add this coverage too.
Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Photo by John Lloyd, taken on October 22, 2009, distributed by Flickr
Homeowners that live near coastlines face possible loss by a hurricane. Hopefully, any affected person will own a homeowners insurance policy to help deal with the crisis. However, they must be aware of their responsibilities under the insurance policy in order to take full advantage of any available coverage.
The main priority for a homeowner is to be sure that the amount of coverage is adequate in the event that the home has to be totally replaced. Also, the homeowner should keep their deductible in mind, seeking options to make sure that it is affordable. Insurers who operate in areas that experience hurricanes typically require deductibles at a high, flat amount (such as $2,000) or at a percentage of the policy’s insurance limit (anywhere from 2% to 5%).
Minimize Loss, Maximizing Safety
Naturally, a homeowner should consider ways to minimize their possible loss and maximize their personal safety by:
Bring outdoor property inside the home (lawn equipment, toys, tools, etc.)
Installing or building a proper “safe room”
Cover/Secure all windows and doors
Have a portable radio and stay turned to accurate source of weather broadcasts.
Turn off (unplug) small appliances and turn refrigerators/freezers to their highest settings.
If applicable, turn off fuel/oil tanks.
Fill sinks and bathtubs with water.
Returning to a damaged/destroyed site is not when a hurricane victim will be at his or her best, but that is the time that certain obligations have to be met in order to make the most out of any insurance recovery. It is important to do the following:
At the earliest possible chance, contact your insurer with details about your loss
If possible, be sure you have a way to visually record the loss details (camera, digital camera, even a smartphone camera.)
Take reasonable action to keep intact property protected from additional damage or loss
Keep an accurate record of all expenses that are related to protecting your property as well as items related to temporary housing and meals
Though post-catastrophe times are chaotic and spirit-sapping, it is important to keep in contact with your agent and/or insurer. Take the time to be meticulous about filling out reports, documenting the value of your loss and cooperating with claims personnel.
COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2016
All rights reserved. Production or distribution, whether in whole or in part, in any form of media or language; and no matter what country, state or territory, is expressly forbidden without written consent of Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc.
Knowing how to pick out the correct car seat for your child is vital for your child’s safety! When picking out your child’s car seat it comes down to your personal preference, budget, and what best fits your family. Make sure you’re up to date with the car seat laws in your state and review your vehicle manual for proper fitting.
According to Kentuckystatepolice.org: The 4 Steps for kids are: 1. Rear-Facing Infant Seats in the back seat from birth to at least one year old and at least 20 pounds. 2. Forward-Facing Toddler Seats in the back seat from age one to about age four and 20 to 40 pounds. 3. Booster Seats in the back seat from about age four and 40 pounds to at least age eight, unless 4’9”. 4. Safety Belts at age eight or older, or taller than 4’9”. All children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat.
2020’s Top Rated Car Seats:
According to www.safety.com: (Updated April 16, 2020) • The best car seat for growth of your child is: Graco 4Ever DLX 4-1 Infant to Toddler Car Seat. • The best infant car seat is: Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat. • The best car seat for smaller vehicles: Graco SlimFit 3-1 Convertible Car Seat.
Below is a list of places you can call and schedule an appointment to have a Child Passenger Safety Technician show you how to install your car seat or have it inspected.
I hate this seat belt. I can never get it fastened.
2. Norton Children’s Hospital: https://www.safekids.org/inspection-stations#KY Address: 315 E Broadway Louisville, KY 40202
3. Norton Children’s Medical Associates-Shelbyville https://www.safekids.org/inspection-stations#KY Address: 150 Frankfort Road Shelbyville, KY 40065
4. Norton Children’s Medical Center- Brownsboro https://www.safekids.org/inspection-stations#KY Address: 4910 Chamberlain Lane Louisville, KY 40241
5. Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital https://www.safekids.org/inspection-stations#KY Address: 4400 Dutchman’s Lane Louisville, KY 40207
6. Kentucky State Police (kentuckystatepolice.org) KSP advises all troopers at all 16 posts have been trained as certified safety seat technicians
7. UK Health Care The Safe Kids Car Seat Inspection Station at Immanuel Baptist Church (ukhealthcare.uky.edu) Address: 3100 Tates Creek Road Lexington, KY 40502
One issue that may arise because of storms, extreme heat or natural catastrophe is the loss of electrical power. While power outages are often, merely a nuisance, extended power interruptions can cause problems ranging from loss of perishables (particularly frozen and refrigerated foods), damage to property that is vulnerable to temperature extremes, and personal endangerment caused by overheating or freezing.
Even if your home isn’t hit, you could go days without electricity.
Many homeowners who, for various reasons, are prone to suffering power loss, use an option to protect themselves; home generators. Such generators are capable of temporarily supplying electrical power to run household appliances and utilities. Home generators come in two basic forms:
Having a portable generator a key step in becoming storm ready!
Portable Generators – lower-powered units that operate externally from a home’s wiring system.
Standby Generators – high-power units that are attached directly to a home’s wiring system and which takes over automatically when utility power is interrupted
Regardless the type, it is critical to take proper precautions to make sure that no harm or injury results from their use.
With standby generators, installation should be performed by a licensed electrician and installations should be inspected by authorized persons before initial use. Installations should include a proper transfer switch and local utilities should be notified that an installation has occurred. Transfer switches insure that electrical power is properly and safely switched from the generator to a utility supply when power is restored.
Portable generators have a host of procedures that should be adhered to, such as the following:
generators should be located outside the home, in an area that provides proper ventilation and which shields the unit from moisture
generators should NOT be located near window or doors since carbon monoxide exhaust could seep into a home
care must be taken to prevent burns due to contact with hot generator parts
generators should never be plugged into house outlets. This can cause back feeds which results in damaging wiring and endangering utility company personnel (backed power can be transmitted through power lines at fatal power levels)
proper, exterior-rated cords should be the only kinds used with generators
generator power should be matched with essential power needs (core appliances, heating/cooling) and not overloaded (which could damage the generator and powered appliances, etc.)
fuel for generators should be stored properly and refueling should take place ONLY after the generator has cooled after being turned off
Generators can be a tremendous method to compensate for temporary power outages but care must be taken to be sure they don’t generate more problems than solutions.
COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2017
All rights reserved. Production or distribution, whether in whole or in part, in any form of media or language; and no matter what country, state or territory, is expressly forbidden without written consent of Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc.
New Remote Workers are still working out the kinks
If you work from your home for part of your workweek and if the situation is an ongoing arrangement with your employer…that’s telecommuting! That is also an opportunity to make special insurance considerations. Consider the following:
Property Considerations
You may have gaps in coverage because of your work arrangement. You may not have the insurance protection you need for your employer’s business property that is kept in your home or your own property that is used to perform your job. This is because residential insurance policies severely restrict or exclude coverage for business property. A further complication is that business property usually consists of high-valued items that are vulnerable to damage and/or to theft. Such property includes fax machines, copiers, computers, pads, smart phones, computer peripherals, GPS, etc.
Liability Considerations
Personal insurance policies that include liability protection typically exclude business-related losses. Further, different policies can be quite broad in interpreting how a loss is connected to “business.” Liability Policies A and B would routinely respond to handling an insured who spilled hot coffee on a guest in his home. What if, instead of being a social guest, the visitor was your employer’s client? Policy A may still offer coverage because it considers the coffee spill to be a common home hazard. Policy B, however, may flat-out exclude the loss because the injured person was in the home for a business reason.
Vehicle Liability
Instead of using your personal vehicle for going to and from work, more of your vehicle use may be related to your job, such as making deliveries, calling on clients or visiting jobsites. Many instances of job related use might be excluded from your personal auto coverage.
Home Accidents
Simple events may be complicated when they occur in the course of performing your job at home. Coverage for injuries suffered while going up the stairs or experiencing a prolonged illness may cause coverage questions for your employer. Individual company or state-mandated coverage for employees may not apply to work-related accidents that occur at home.
Issues with working remotely
Document What You Do
In order to determine your coverage needs, you must clearly identify your exposure to business losses. Document the following:
What routine job duties do you perform in your home?
Are any tasks hazardous?
Who visits your home because of your job (clients, vendors, repair personnel, suppliers, others)? Be Specific.
How often do such persons visit?
Is a certain part of your home dedicated as a work area/office?
What equipment is used in your job? (Is the equipment used only for your job? Who owns each piece of equipment?)
Once you have a good idea of the loss exposures from performing your job at home, you need to discuss your situation with an insurance professional. An insurance pro can help you find additional coverage options as well as help to identify what coverage gaps must be addressed by your employer. While it can be liberating to telecommute, you must make sure that you haven’t given up important protection along with your cubicle or office.
COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2015
All rights reserved. Production or distribution, whether in whole or in part, in any form of media or language; and no matter what country, state or territory, is expressly forbidden without written consent of Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc.
Homes may be built with solid craftsmanship and with the use of the best materials, but most residences offer little to no protection against a common hazard…..tornadoes. Recently, homeowners have begun to embrace the use of tornado shelters. Before discussing this protection method, here is some background information.
In the U.S., tornadoes most often occur in the Midwest, Plains and Southern states. Tornadoes are created by thunderstorm fronts where moist, warm air meets moving cool fronts. Winds first form a horizontal rotation that is lifted upwards by warm air. When the rotating column is tilted high enough, it becomes a tornado.
Tornadoes can occur anywhere and at any time, but the peak season is in late spring through the summer. Wind speeds range from less than 100 to +250 mph. The stronger the storm, the longer its lifespan (generally 10-15 minutes). The damage path of a hurricane is usually narrow and short, but they can be as large as a mile in width and travel tens of miles. Tornado damage can be substantial as the winds and wind-carried debris are powerful enough to demolish buildings.
When a tornado threatens a home, the safest response is to get to the lowest and innermost space; away from all doors and windows. Basements and cellars are ideal, but these features are not found in most homes. In the past, it was common to equip homes with storm cellars, located adjacent to home, to protect against severe storm winds. Today, in response to the need for more protection, there has been a revival in the use of tornado shelters.
Christie England stands in the storm shelter in front of the remains of her home May 27, 2013, in Moore, Okla. England’s home was destroyed in the May 20, 2013, EF-5 tornado that ripped through Moore. The storm killed 24, injured hundreds and damaged thousands of homes. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Bradley C. Church)
Tornado shelter are, essentially, reinforced safe rooms, ranging from regular room size, down to small enclosures that are fitted within closets or garages. They may even, like storm cellars of old, be buried in the ground. They are constructed of reinforced metal walls that are, ideally, bolted to a cement floor. Such structures are capable of staying intact even when the surrounding structure is obliterated by tornado winds. Shelters are designed to accommodate a typical family and may cost several thousand dollars.
While shelters do little to protect a residence, they do respond to the most important issue, increasing the chance that residents can survive a tornado and rebuild.
COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2015
All rights reserved. Production or distribution, whether in whole or in part, in any form of media or language; and no matter what country, state or territory, is expressly forbidden without written consent of Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc.
Buying a home is a very exciting time. Whether you’re just purchasing yours or you’ve lived in it for a long time, you want to make sure it’s properly protected. That’s where a home insurance policy comes in. At TruePoint Insurance, we’re dedicated to helping all our Central, KY area homeowners get the policies they need to feel safe and secure. Having peace of mind is extremely important, and it’s much easier when you know you have the right insurance coverage. Since your home is such a large and important asset, coverage for it and your belongings is a vital part of building a strong and stable future.
If you’re not sure what kind of home policy to get, or you don’t know the exact type and level of coverage you need, you’re not alone. Plenty of people have questions about insurance on their home. Fortunately, we have agents who can help you get the proper kind of coverage, at a level that works for the assets you have and the way you want to protect them. While an insurance policy can’t stop something from happening to your home, it can help you make needed repairs and get back to living life again. If you’re in Central Kentucky, TruePoint Insurance wants to help you by making sure you have the right home insurance policy for your needs, current situation, and future goals. You don’t have to settle for less than a great policy that will help you feel good about your home and its level of protection. Reach out to us today, and ask any questions you have about insurance for your home. We’re here and we want to help you have confidence in your insurance policy. Whether you’re getting a new policy or reviewing an old one, our professional agents can meet your needs.
A variety of businesses
are routinely operated in homes. This article discusses aspects of particular
operations. Refer to Home Businesses – Basics for background information
on coverage as well as our other articles discussing different in-home businesses.
Daycare or In-Home
Schools
Coverage for abuse or
sexual assault for small schools is often difficult to obtain at a reasonable
price. Limited corporal punishment coverage for teachers who are employed by a
school system may be available from your homeowners carrier.
If you are an independent tutor or run your own school, most homeowners
policies cannot be modified to include corporal punishment. Abuse and corporal
punishment may be available through the association(s) that
specializes in your type of school.
While the company that
writes your HO policy may be willing to add an endorsement to cover piano
lessons, most will not want to cover a three-to-five child daycare operation.
Liability coverage may be purchased separately. Coverage for property and
liability can be provided through a Businessowners policy,
but none of these forms includes professional liability or abuse or corporal
punishment.
Does your homeowners insurance cover a small daycare?
Specialty schools, such
as ballet, sports, personal training, animal training, or horseback riding will
require specialty coverage. Again, your trade organization, or independent
agent can often find you coverage at a reasonable price.
Workers compensation is
essential for any person you employ.
Driving students in
private vehicles or bus-like vehicles poses special problems. You must hold a
Commercial Driver’s license if you haul more than 16 people including the
driver. Your school is probably too small to qualify for standard business auto
insurance. If standard coverage is unavailable, many states have assigned risk
pools and other mechanisms to provide you coverage-sometimes at reasonable
prices. A good independent agent will understand these markets.
Your state will also
have laws regulating the transportation of students and these laws may require
a special license when transporting fewer than 16 people. Subcontracting the
driving does not lessen your responsibility for a whole raft of laws from
vehicle accidents, workers compensation, ADA, and whether the driver has met
the new substance abuse requirements.
COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2016
All rights reserved. Production or distribution, whether in whole or in part, in any form of media or language; and no matter what country, state or territory, is expressly forbidden without written consent of Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc.
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