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.