Is There a Digital Data Disaster in Your Future?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy of Pixabay

A few weeks ago. I wrote a blog that explained a number of ways to fortify your home and office against thieves.  Like it or not, there are people out there who will be glad to relinquish you of your cash and other valuables.  Whether we’re talking about a burglar breaking into your home or a mugger pulling a pistol on the street to demand your wallet, theft is something that most people take for granted until they become a victim.  As I pointed out in an “HomeSecurity is Nothing to Sneeze At,” the best way to avoid becoming a victim is not to look like easy prey.  By that, I mean the more secure your home is, the less likely it is to be targeted by burglars.  The more cognizant of what’s going on around you, the less likely you are to get mugged.

Does Your Insurance Need a Little Spring Cleaning?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy of flickr

Only in Florida do people start thinking about Spring cleaning in February.  That’s because as I write this blog, the temperature is in the 70’s with the weekend forecast for 80 degrees.  Spring is the time of year we Floridians start to straighten up around the house and yard to get a jump on home and yard maintenance before the gully washers and named storms begin to head our way in the summer.  With an average temperature in the low to mid 90’s, summer is the last time to start clearing out the dead leaves or working to seal cracked weather-stripping.  The time to perform home and yard maintenance is while the weather is mild. 

While most Florida residents routinely roll up their sleeves in February and March to get started on Spring cleaning, I thought I’d take the time this week to address another kind of Spring cleaning that has nothing to do with leaf blowers and rakes.  I’m talking about Spring Cleaning for your insurance policies.  Just as our homes and yards tend to get cluttered and weather-beaten if we aren’t careful, so too can our insurance policies.  Face it, modern life is fast paced.  Everything from our earning ability to our living arrangements can and do change from year to year.  When it comes to insurance coverage, what may have worked perfectly last year may be off the mark in the new year.  While you and your family get ready to head outside to spruce up your home and yard, I thought it was high time that I gave you a few facts to consider when it comes to weather-proofing your insurance coverage.

Keeping Teens Safe Behind the Wheel

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

When it comes to giving adults a fright, three of the top-10 have to be:

      1.      the impending arrival of your first child

      2.      the day your child leaves for college

      3.      dealing with a teenager who is old enough to drive. 

Other than the angst of having to worry about teaching your teen how to drive, then lending them the family sedan to go to the mall, today’s parents have a lot more to worry about then mine did back in the 80’s.  That’s because there are so many more things to distract teenagers behind the wheel nowadays.  When one realizes that more than 650 teenagers are injured and an average of 6 are killed in vehicle-related crashes every day in the US, I thought it was time I provided all you parents out there with a short list of hazards faced by teenage drivers.

Where There’s Smoke

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

For most of us, the epitome of the American Dream is owning our own home.  Being one of the biggest investments most of us will ever make, we put our hearts and souls into buying and beautifying our homes.  It’s also why we lavish so much time and money into protecting it.  While most Floridians lose sleep worrying if the next named storm is going to wreak havoc on our home, or how to keep burglars at bay, what most fail to realize is that there lurks a much bigger concern that not only has the power to damage or destroy our home, but it can harm or claim those tucked safely inside it.