PHH Insurance Blog

Stafford Springs, CT

Archive for the month “February, 2012”

29 Feb 2012

How to Prevent a Burglary & Avoid CT Insurance Claims

When it comes to insurance, everyone should consider purchasing Connecticut home insurance for their place. Not only can it provide financial assistance after a natural disaster or fire, a policy may also help compensate you after a burglary.

Did you know that over 15,000 burglaries occurred in CT in 2010 alone? Even though the number of burglaries have dropped down in the past 10 years, it is still a significant number and if you don’t wish to be one of the victims, you should follow the guide to better protecting your home. While a foolproof home security plan does not exist, there are certain steps you can take to deter criminals from breaking in.

  • Keeping the exterior of your home properly lit can deny burglars the darkness they need as they search for a way into your house.
  • Many criminals are on the lookout for a home that appears empty. Avoid making your home a target by purchasing a variable light timer, which will turn your lights on at different times each day.
  • Deadbolts are not easy to get around. It might be a good idea to consider installing one on every exterior door.
  • A solid metal or wooden bar can be inserted into the tract of a sliding glass door. This may prevent someone from opening it from the outside.
  • Many people adopt a puppy to help with security. It does not have to be a vicious animal. Even little yappy dogs make enough noise to make criminal nervous about being noticed.

When an individual is determined to break in, there is very little you can do. Home invasions can turn dangerous quickly if a homeowner puts up a fight. Instead, allow the criminals to take what they want and leave, knowing that you could be compensated by your Connecticut Insurance.

Posted in Home and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
24 Feb 2012
2 Comments

Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo

Remember the time before we had fast food restaurants and foods and vegetables weren’t high in starch? People were a lot healthier back then compared to now and that’s because of the food they ate. Not to worry, with this guide you can regain your health and live like our past ancestors used to; healthy.

Courtesy of Greatist

Posted in Food, Health and tagged , ,
23 Feb 2012

Should You Buy Insurance?

Everyone asks this question at least once in their life. But does buying insurance really make a person safe? While some things are certain in life (death and taxes), there is plenty that is unpredictable. Purchasing insurance for your assets, including your life, can be one of the most important decisions you will ever make.

To find out what kind of policy fits you best and how much coverage you should purchase, read the flowchart below. It has plenty of information on how insurance comes in handy when you need it.

<a href="http://www.mint.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Should-I-Buy-Insurance.png&quot;

Provided by Mint.com

Posted in Other Insurance and tagged , , | Leave a Comment
21 Feb 2012
2 Comments

2.5 Million Young Adults Insured

More than 2.5 million adults younger than 26 have stayed on heir parents health insurance plans because of a provision (Affordable Care Act) in last year’s health care. Being a young adult isn’t as fun as it sounds especially in today’s society. If you’re between the ages of 18-26, then you know how tough it can be to get health insurance of your own but thanks to the provision, the percentage of young adults that are insured raised from 66.7% to 71.9% in just 9 months. When comparing the rise in coverage to insured adults ages 26-35, which remained the same, it’s very clear the increase is because of the new law.

You must be wondering why is it that the young adults can’t get insurance coverage of their own? It’s because they tend to have low-paying jobs with few benefits and only a few out of many get good jobs that offer them good health insurance. Another reason to why young adults are less likely to get insured is because they think they’re indestructible and don’t need insurance until it’s too late.

Without coverage, young adults – as well as most uninsured people – would delay routine care until medical conditions; illness or injuries worsen, and then seek health care in expensive hospital emergency rooms, but thanks to the new law, that is no longer the concern for most. The health care law also ends the practice of denying children insurance because of preexisting conditions, and by the time today’s 19 year old reaches 26, that rule will have been enacted for adults as well.

If you would like to add your child to your health policy, give us a call at 860 684 2721 or visit our website for more information.

Posted in Health, Health Insurance and tagged , , ,
17 Feb 2012
1 Comment

CT Long Term Care Insurance

Our body is composed of many organs but there are some that are more important than others, namely the heart. One of vital organs, it pumps blood into your arteries and organs and keeps you alive so it’s important to keep it healthy, especially this month.

February is American Heart month, dedicated to educate people about ways to keep their heart’s healthy. Heart disease is still the number one killer among people in the United States but it doesn’t have to remain this way. Follow these tips and you could have a healthy heart for years to come.

  • Don’t smoke. Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors in developing heart disease. There are chemicals in tobacco that damage your blood vessels and can lead to a heart attack. No amount of smoking is safe, so stop now! Just one year after quitting smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically.
  • Exercise. Physical activity has many benefits for your heart. It helps control your weight, lower blood pressure, reduces stress, and lowers your risk for diabetes. Aim for thirty to sixty minutes of intense physical activity most days of the week.
  • Watch what you eat. Eat foods that are low in fat, cholesterol, and salt, all of which are bad for your heart. Instead, fill up on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and low-fat dairy products. Try to eliminate saturated fat and trans fat from your diet.
  • Get regular health screenings. Visit your doctor regularly to have your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked. You’ll always want to be checked for things that run in your family, like diabetes. Your doctor can tell you ways to reduce your risk for diseases that are present in your family history.

Keeping your heart healthy is one of the most common ways to live longer, so keep your eating habits healthy and you may live to a 100.

We also help protect your future by providing life insurance so give us a call at 860 684 2721 or visit our website for a quote.

 

Posted in Health, Health Insurance and tagged , , , , , ,
16 Feb 2012
1 Comment

Higher Education is Going Digital

We’ve all seen movies where the future holds a lot of technological advancements but are we close to achieving that? We are in one of the aspects. People have been talking about digital technology’s opportunity to improve the classroom for years now. Much of the discussion has been focused on digital textbooks.

At the university level, many schools are dipping their toes in the promise of a digital future, and it’s not just about textbooks. The folks at OnlineUniversities.com have compiled the infographic below that explores the pros and cons of various platforms and technologies that have found their way into the halls of higher ed.

With so many online colleges popping up nowadays, the future does seem to be in digital education. Is your college or university investing in digital texts or online courses?

Courtesy of OnlineUniversities

Posted in Fun, Miscellaneous and tagged , , , , , ,
15 Feb 2012

Social Media, Liability and CT Insurance

Hundreds of millions of people interact on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and LinkedIn every day. Like any other new technology, social media brings enormous opportunities and benefits. The ability to communicate and interact instantaneously on a global scale 24/7 enables businesses to reach their customers directly and individuals to voice opinions on any topic they see fit.

Yet as the opportunity to tweet, message, share and “like” grows, so do the risks. As businesses and individuals navigate this shifting online risk landscape, they face a range of evolving social media related liabilities including privacy, security, intellectual property and employment practices liability.

Meanwhile, amid a rising number of high profile data breaches, government is stepping up its scrutiny of cyber security. This is leading to increased calls for legislation and regulation, placing the burden on companies to demonstrate that the information provided by customers and clients is properly safeguarded online.

Despite the fact that cyber risks and cyber security are widely acknowledged to be a serious threat, a majority of companies today still do not purchase cyber liability insurance. However, research indicates that this is changing. Insurance has a key role to play as companies and individuals look to better manage and reduce their potential financial losses from social media and cyber risks in future.

Please click on the file name below to view the white paper in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to biew the file.

Download Social Media, Liability and Insurance (PDF)

Courtesy of III.

Posted in Cyber Insurance, Identity Theft and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
13 Feb 2012

Valentine’s Day: Protect Your Lover’s Gifts

Valentine’s Day is a tradition going back to 496 A.D, with its actual origins tracing back to St. Valentine’s execution 269 AD for marrying couples against the mandate of the Roman Emperor. Since then, Valentine’s Day has become a gold mine for retailers. According to the US Census Bureau, jewelry stores sold $2.27 billion in merchandise in February 2011. While that number might seem staggering, the National Retail Federation is expecting jewelry sales to hit $4.1 billion this year. Their survey results show that over eight in ten men are expected to buy jewelry for their significant other this year, the highest amount their survey has ever reported, leading to the purchase of lots of expensive jewelry that could easily become lost or stolen.

Contributing to “the big spend” is the fact that Valentine’s Day is the third most popular time for couples to get engaged, lagging behind only Christmas and New Years. According to a survey conducted by Bride’s Magazine last year, the average cost of a wedding ring is $4,647. In today’s tough economic times that would not be easy to replace, nor would any of the other lavish gifts couples buy this time of year.

Jewelry is popular with thieves


If you do splurge for the holiday, or have a lot of expensive jewelry lying around already, it might not be a bad idea to investigate your insurance options. Most burglars are looking for accessible items of value that can be easily transported, making jewelry a prime target since items are often left out or kept in easy-to-grab jewelry boxes. The Insurance Information Institute offers the warning that jewelry and other expensive gifts may only have minimal coverage under standard homeowners insurance policies and offers tips for how to properly insure your valuables.

Courtesy of Consumer Insurance Blog

Posted in Miscellaneous, Other Insurance and tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment
10 Feb 2012
1 Comment

Home Inventory App

Keeping a home inventory has always been a good idea for insurance purposes, but now technology is making it easier than ever.

If you are the owner of an iPad or iPhone, you may want to check out the free Know Your Stuff App from the Insurance Information Institute (III). If you do not own either of these devices, there is also an online web-based version at the Know Your Stuff website, a free tool to help you keep an up to date list of your home inventory.

The application allows you to set up your belongings by room, making lists of everything you own so you have a good replacement record in the event of a loss or a disaster. Furthermore, you can upload photographs of your belongings, scanned receipts or appraisal forms, and generate several types of reports in case you need to file a claim. All of this information is web-based, very handy to access from anywhere in case you need to evacuate your home in a hurry. This way your home inventory is always secure and easily accessible when you need it most.

In addition to simplifying the process of filing a claim, keeping a home inventory will also help to ensure that you purchase the right amount of insurance. III says, “Having an accurate list of your possessions allows you to have a more productive conversation with your insurance agent or company representative when making decisions about homeowners or renters insurance coverage.”

For comparative purposes, you might also check out the Home Inventory app from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. It’s called myHOME Scr.APP.book and it’s available for both iPhones and Android devices.

Posted in Home and tagged , ,
08 Feb 2012
2 Comments

Event Data Recorders. What the Future Holds

We’ve all heard of those black boxes used on airplanes that record all of the airplane’s movements and are used by investigators after a crash to help determine the cause.  Did you know that many cars are now equipped with similar technology that can be used by safety investigators and attorneys?

Event Data Recorders (EDR) are designed to gather information during an accident, much the same way black boxes help investigators piece together what went wrong during a crash.  The EDR is usually placed under the driver’s seat and is wired to other car components such as the air bags.  Many cars built in 2011 are equipped with these devices and your dealer is required to let you know that the recorder is installed in your car.  All cars built after 2013 will be required to come with EDR’s .  The devices will be standardized to record such information as:

  • Change in forward crash speed
  • Maximum change in forward crash speed
  • Speed the vehicle was traveling
  • How far the accelerator pedal was pressed
  • Whether or not the brake was applied
  • Whether or not the driver was using a safety belt

There is much more information available to investigators and for that matter, car manufacturers.  Much of the information gathered will be used to further design safer vehicles.  The EDR is in effect, an added witness to an accident. The information recorded can be used by law enforcement agencies when they are trying to determine fault during an accident investigation.  CT car insurance companies can access the information from an on board EDR to determine insurance rates but they need the policy holder’s permission to do so.

What would an insurance company learn from the data that was accessed from an EDR, you may ask?  Most experts believe that the information would simply verify the information submitted by the insured when filing an insurance claim after an accident.  For more serious accidents, the information might be more useful, especially if court action results.

The technology surrounding the use of EDR’s is still new.  Some insurance companies have begun to use similar devices, strictly on a volunteer basis, to help save their insured customers money. We at Penny Hanley & Howley Insurance Agency are getting in business with other insurance companies to promote the application iZup. It stops people from being distracted by their cellphones while driving. To learn more about this program, visit iZup website or give us a call at 860 684 2721 and we’ll tell you all about it.

Technology is rapidly evolving and we’re doing the best we can to keep up with it in the midst of these innovative trends.

Posted in Auto and tagged , , , , ,

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

%d bloggers like this: