Making a List and Checking It Twice - Why you should create a home inventory.

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

Three of the crises that most homeowners dread most are fire, flood and storm.  That’s because these are the three quickest ways to lose all their possessions in one fell swoop.  Especially in hurricane-prone Florida, having a total loss isn’t that much of a stretch of the imagination.  Not by a long shot.  While you can have your home and your property insured for all of the above, the secret to getting your money’s worth in compensation is to be able to document the value of your possessions.  To do this right takes a bit of forethought and effort on a homeowner’s part, which many fail to do only to come to regret it later.

Snowbird Safety Tips

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

Living in Florida means never knowing when guests are going to drop in.  Whether we’re talking about relatives or a long-lost college roommate, once the snow starts to fall up north, it’s guaranteed that guests will start lining up to pay a visit.  When house guests do arrive, they’ll invariably head for the water.  Whether that means a trip to the beach or the pool, one thing’s for certain; they’ll overdo it when it comes to fun in the sun.  They can also wind up in trouble in the surf.  To give all you Floridians the lowdown on snowbird safety, I decided to dedicate this week’s blog to the occasion.

The Ins and Outs of Prepaid Credit Cards

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

If you’re like me, you have way too many friends, relatives and business associates to buy each and everyone of them a hand-picked Christmas present.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day, right?  That means you’re left with the unenviable choices of either buying the same gift for many of them or crossing some off your list.  Before you break out the red pencil, let me give you one other option that not only kills two birds with one stone, but allows everybody on you’re a-list to wind up with the gift they most want.  What I’m talking about are prepaid credit cards. 

The ABC's of Insurance Riders

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

If you have an insurance policy, you probably have been exposed to what are termed “Riders”, although you may not know what they mean to you.  Also known as “Endorsements”, riders are add-ons to policies that affect the limitations of a policy.  Sometimes these are added as a benefit to a policy, while others are used to restrict how or where the coverage applies.  Either way, ignorance of riders is not bliss, as some policyholders have found to their chagrin when their claim was denied.  The way I tell customers to think about riders is to consider them like optional extras like leather bucket seats in a car.  While they may cost a little more to add, they make the ride much more comfortable for years to come.

How to Avoid Used Car Scams

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

If you’re like most consumers, you tend to hold onto a car as long as it still has some life in it.  Today’s vehicles are way more reliable than those made even a couple decades ago.  That means if you maintain your vehicle, chances are it will last at least 200,000 miles.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that you won’t need to someday part with your four-wheeled friend once the cost of maintaining the vehicle starts looking worse than a car payment.  If you like to buy used as opposed to a new car, there are a few things you need to know. 

Space Heater Safety tips

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

Those of you who live in Florida wouldn’t know that it’s nearly November with temperatures still in the upper 80's, but a quick look at Weather.com just informed me that within the next few days the cooler weather will finally arrive in the Sunshine State.  You can expect daytime highs in the 60's & 70’s, with nighttime temperatures falling into the fifties.  That means many of us will be cranking up our heating system and/or space heaters to keep us comfy at night.  Especially when it comes to using either gas-fired or electric space heaters, comfort comes at a price if you aren’t careful about their safe operation.  Below are some safety tips to help you stay safe and warm this fall and winter.

How Smart is Smartphone Insurance?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

Whether you're a Millennial or a Baby Boomer, one thing is certain; You never leave home without your smartphone.  Part communication device, part entertainment center, part research assistant, a smartphone puts the world at your fingertips.  You can read a book, watch a TV show or a movie, order a pizza or a taxi and converse with your friends and family six ways from Sunday wherever and whenever you choose.  If it did the dishes and the laundry, you’d probably marry it, right?  That’s why you can’t afford to be without your little oblong friend.  While the model I carry retails for around $100, this is considered the low end of the smartphone pool.  Springing for a Samsung Galaxy S10 will set you back $700, while an iPhone can cost more than a grand.  With prices like those, it should come as no surprise that I’m asked about smartphone insurance from time to time by my customers.  To keep from repeating myself, I created a handy blog that will gives you the ins and outs you need to consider before deciding to buying an extended warranty or insurance for your phone.