Monthly Archives: July 2012

Organizing a home inventory for your insurance company may seem tiresome and tedious, but knowing the value of what you own can help to determine how much home insurance you need in order to give you the right financial protection. You might be especially happy you put in the effort if a fire or natural disaster were to hit your Long Island home.

Following a catastrophic event, it may be difficult to think clearly. Your house itself and your possessions may have been damaged or destroyed, and you might find it hard to recall everything that you own. This is one reason why it is important to organize a detailed home inventory when you take out your home insurance policy. Once you have done your inventory, keep it in an electronic format that can be accessed from a remote location.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), a home inventory should include a detailed description of your personal possessions, any appraisals you may have had done, and receipts to show what you paid for things. The III offers free software called Know Your Stuff that you can download to create a home inventory that is securely stored online, and can be accessed from any location. Following a disaster, your home inventory might help you qualify for any available financial assistance. It could also help speed up the claims process for you, as you recover from your losses.

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Changes in family situations happen every day. Perhaps your grandmother has come to live with you, and in order to give her some independence, you want to teach her how to drive. One of the first things you may need to do is contact your Long Island auto insurance agent to obtain coverage for grandma.

When teaching an older person to drive, it may be important to provide a non-threatening learning environment. You may want to review road laws, explain how to contact emergency personnel, and go over a practice written driving test. Some aspects of the aging process may impact driving ability. Should your grandmother be taking any prescription medication, you may want to discuss with the doctor or pharmacist whether or not the medication may impair driving ability.

Your grandmother may require eye glasses while driving, and you may want to make sure her seat is adjusted for maximum view. It also may be a good idea to keep the windshield, windows, and mirrors clean, and discourage your grandmother from driving at night or on poorly lit roads. Should your grandmother wear a hearing aid, you may want to encourage her to turn off the radio and put the windows up.

A car with power steering and brakes may be easier for your grandmother to drive as her muscle strength may be somewhat diminished with age. Patience may be the most important quality to have when teaching grandma to drive. Also important is obtaining the right coverage through your Long Island auto insurance company.

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Whether moving, regardless of the distance, your possessions have to be packed and transported. One of the first things you may want to do is find out if your Long Island auto insurance policy provides financial protection if you rent a moving van, and for your possessions as they are in transit.

There are ways to get the most for your money out of your rented moving van:

• You may need to make it clear to the rental agent the distance you will be driving the moving van, so that you are charged for the correct distance.
• You may have a certain amount of mileage that is included in the rental price. Some companies offer unlimited mileage. You may want to shop around for the best deal.
• The busiest times for rental van companies tend to be mid-May to mid-September. Therefore, you may need to make an appointment well in advance during those times.
• Rather than purchase boxes from the moving van company, you may want to order them online, which may be a less expensive alternative.
• It may be wise to return the van with a full tank of gas as the rental company typically charges more for gas than market price.

Moving may be exciting, but packing and hauling your possessions to your new home can be exhausting. You may not want to be caught unprepared financially. Should you find that your Long Island auto insurance policy does not provide you with coverage when you rent a moving van, you may want to purchase insurance from the rental company.

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Your son or daughter may turn 16 and get that first car, either as a gift or by working to pay for it. Either way, it is important for your teenager to know how to operate their car correctly to avoid damaging it, and how to properly maintain the car. You may want to make sure your teen’s car has the right Long Island auto insurance for financial protection in the event of an accident. However, damage done by poor maintenance on the part of the vehicle’s owner will most likely not be covered by your auto insurance.

Two of the most important aspects of auto maintenance are the wheel alignment of the vehicle and the condition of the tires. Car wheels may be knocked out of alignment by going over speed bumps and railroad tracks too fast, and hitting curbs and potholes. Cars that remain out of alignment will cause the driver to have difficulty keeping the vehicle driving straight as it will pull to the right or left. Poor alignment may also cause tires to wear quickly and unevenly.

Having tires that are in good condition is important for safety. Tires may wear quickly when teenagers drive too fast and have to hit the brakes to stop suddenly. Air pressure in tires should be checked regularly and kept at the weight recommended in the vehicle owner’s manual. Worn tires may not have enough tread to stop quickly enough when the brakes are applied, especially in rainy conditions. It may be important to educate your teenager on alignment and tire issues to avoid accidents and claims on your Long Island auto insurance policy.

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