First United Methodist Church of Coppell is celebrating 136 years this weekend with a misison event serving the community. There are several opportunities including serving at Austin Street Shelter, assembling hygiene kits, preparing 10,000 meals, improving the parks and nature trail, and much more. Check out the FUMC website for more information. http://www.fumccoppell.org/serveconnect/136-anniversary-mission-event
I’m looking forward to going to serve!
In most cases, if you have no dependents and have enough money to pay your final expenses, you don’t need any life insurance.
If you want to create an inheritance or make a charitable contribution, buy enough life insurance to achieve those goals.
If you have dependents, buy enough life insurance so that, when combined with other sources of income, it will replace the income you now generate for them, plus enough to offset any additional expenses they will incur to replace services you. Also, your family might need extra money to make some changes after you die. For example, they may want to relocate, or your spouse may need to go back to school to be in a better position to help support the family.
You should also plan to replace “hidden income” that would be lost at death. Hidden income is income that you receive through your employment but that isn’t part of your gross wages. It includes things like your employer’s subsidy of your health insurance premium, the matching contribution to your 401(k) plan, and many other “perks,” large and small. This is an often-overlooked insurance need: the cost of replacing just your health insurance and retirement contributions could be the equivalent of $2,000 per month or more.
Of course, you should also plan for expenses that arise at death. These include the funeral costs, taxes and administrative costs associated with “winding up” an estate and passing property to heirs. At a minimum, plan for $15,000.
Did your Coppell student head off to college? Chances are they took with them a laptop, television, iPad or other device, cell phone, or perhaps a bicycle or musical instrument to their new dorm room. While we want to believe that our college kid is incredibly responsible, the truth is, he or she is bound to forget to lock their dorm door at least once—and his or her laptop may get stolen. Or they may leave their belongings unattended in the library while they take a phone call. Or burn Easy-Mac in the microwave and set off sprinklers, causing water damage to his or her computer.
It’s time to refresh the insurance considerations that a college student—away from home—brings.
For insureds, the Insurance Information Institute recommends creating a “dorm inventory.” Keep a list of all of the items the student will bring to school, along with their estimated value.
Here are some Homeowners’ and Auto questions that arise when a student leaves home for college.
Does a Homeowners’ policy provide coverage for college students?
A parent’s Homeowners’ insurance policy does provide some coverage for a student who is away at school – but it’s limited. The ISO form HO 00 03 extends the definition of “insured” to:
“A student enrolled in school full time, as defined by the school, who was a resident of your household before moving out to attend school, provided the student is under the age of
24 and your relative; or
21 and in your care or the care of” your residents of your household who are relatives.
This is where insureds need to be careful. A student may have stated a term as a full-time student, but dropped a class or two over the semester. Or the student may have turned 24 years old during the semester or be in grad school—at which point coverage would no longer apply.
What type of insurance coverage is provided for college students?
Four coverages are extended to applicable college students under a Homeowners’ policy:
Will the student live on or off campus?
If the child doesn’t live in college-owned housing, an insured’s Homeowners’ policy may not provide coverage. Insurance issues arise depending on if the child is in a dorm, apartment or rented house. These variables, especially for older students, can impact your current protection and dictate a need to modify your policy or purchase a new one. And find out how many roommates Junior will have—insurance companies need to know this for coverage considerations. To avoid on-again/off-again insurance issues, a separate Renters’ policy for college students may be necessary.
Will the student take a car to college?
If so, does the parent (insured) own it or is the car in the student’s name? An insurance agent must be made aware of the new garaging address—if the student attends college in a less populous area, it may save the insured money. Agents should discuss with their clients how coverage is affected by change of address and ensure that minimum auto liability is met—particularly when a student attends college out of state.
If the student is not taking a car to school, it may not be the best choice to remove the child from an existing Auto policy to reduce cost. Keeping the child listed on the Auto policy ensures coverage during school breaks and while he or she drives a friend’s car at school.
Water damage that is caused when ordinary household appliances fail can be just as destructive as an extreme weather event. According to the Insurance Industry Institute, water damage accounts for billions of dollars in losses to homeowners and renters each year. It is also responsible for about 25 percent of all property insurance claims.
Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to help prevent water damage from appliances, and protect your Coppell home. It is helpful to understand some of the common causes of water damage, which include leaky baseboard heating, air conditioning condensation drains, and failed water heaters, washing machine hoses and plumbing.
These household appliances do not always offer warning signs until the damage has already occurred. That is why it is important to check them regularly. The simple steps below can help you protect your home from the most common causes of water damage:
First, know where the main water supply is located in case of emergency.
If you will be away from home for an extended period, shut off the water supply and drain the pipes. During the heating season, if your home is heated by an older steam heating system, consult with your heating professional to determine if it is safe to turn off the water supply for your particular heating system. Also, if your home is protected by a fire sprinkler system, do not turn off the water to this system, and maintain sufficient heat to prevent a freeze-up.
Consider having your air conditioning system inspected regularly by a professional. Check the drain lines annually and clean them if they are clogged.
Inspect water heaters, showers, tubs, toilets, sinks and dishwashers annually, and have them repaired if there are any signs of leaks or corrosion. When possible, install water heaters in areas with floor drains to minimize damage if leaks should occur.
Check caulking around showers, bathtubs, sinks and toilet bases, and make repairs as needed.
If your refrigerator has an ice machine or water dispenser, the hose between the wall and the refrigerator should be made of braided copper, which has greater cracking and corrosion resistance.
Check pipes for cracks and leaks. Have pipe damage fixed immediately to prevent more costly repairs in the future.
Check appliance hoses and plumbing fittings for breakage, crimping or bending.
If a disaster such as a fire, windstorm or hailstorm damages your home, you are your own best advocate. Keep scrupulous records of conversations with your agent, your policies and what was damaged.
It’s important to know well in advance of a disaster what your insurance policy does and doesn’t cover. It’s smart to review your insurance policy at least once a year to make sure it’s up to date and the coverage is adequate. Regular homeowners insurance doesn’t cover floods, hurricanes or earthquakes, so if you live in an area subject to those risks, you may need additional policies. According to the Insurance Information Institute, underinsurance is a huge, chronic problem, especially when homes are destroyed.
Here are nine ways to get the best results from your insurance claim after a disaster:
Know what your policy covers. Every insurance policy is different in regards to coverage. Deductibles may not be the same for all types of claims. Does your policy pay for the actual cash value of your home and contents, or do you have replacement cost coverage, which pays the cost of buying new stuff or rebuilding your house, with some limitations?
Document your loss. That could mean providing photos or video showing the damaged items or producing a copy of a household inventory or receipts. The burden of proof is on you
Protect your home from further damage. If your roof is blown off or your windows are broken, the insurance company expects you to secure those openings before more damage occurs, which may not be covered.
Negotiate if you don’t like the initial offer. Get estimates from multiple contractors and send them to the insurance company with your request for reconsideration.
Know that the money won’t necessarily go to you. Most insurance checks are written to the company holding your mortgage, which then has to send the money to you.
Hire licensed contractors. Get at least three estimates, and check references, licenses and insurance. Never hire a contractor who says he was simply “in the neighborhood.” After a disaster, reputable contractors don’t need to solicit business, and those who go door to door are often unlicensed at best and scammers at worst.
Vet the contractors recommended by your insurance company. In some cases, insurance companies have a list of contractors who have agreed to do the work for what the company will pay. Ask about warranties, references, licenses and insurance
Consider hiring a public adjuster. If you’d rather let someone else handle your claim, or if you feel the amount offered is inadequate, a public adjuster may be able to help. Before you hire a public adjuster, ask for references and check the adjuster out as you would any other contractor.
Beware of scams. Disasters bring scam artists and charlatans out of the woodwork. Be wary of out-of-town roofing companies and contractors who are simply stopping by to solicit your business. Remember that good contractors don’t need to solicit business after a disaster.
Your role as a parent or guardian is to educate teens when they are on the road in Coppell. While they may be enrolled in driver’s education courses, it is important to give them as much practice on the roads as possible. Teens are in the largest demographic for being involved in car crashes, and much of this can be reduced if they are more confident drivers.
One of the best ways to educate teens when they are driving in Texas is to set a good example for them. You should always be wearing your seatbelt, and drive defensively so that they see what a good driver looks like. You don’t want to be on your cellphone and you never want to speed or run red lights.
Another great way to educate teens is to let them drive in various situations. You want to make sure that they experience the majority of driving situations while you are still in the car so that they aren’t alone for the first time during them. This includes letting them drive in the rain, the snow, heavy traffic, and at night.
The more driving time teens get before they are alone in the car, the more confident they will be, and the more experienced. The graduated licensing program in Texas is designed for teens to have a longer period of supervised driving time, and you want to make sure to reinforce this within your household.
Ask questions, too. Find out what your teen feels comfortable with and what he or she wants more help with.
McShan Agency is dedicated to educating teens and helping everyone obtain quality auto insurance. Call us today to learn more about how to obtain affordable insurance that you can count on.
Choosing the right car for your Coppell teen driver may not be easy. There are many things to take into account, such as safety and cost.
Safety
The top priority when buying a car for your teen is passenger safety. Since teens are already new to driving, and not completely secure on the road, getting the safest vehicle is a must. The car should be equipped with all important safety features including airbags and blind spot monitoring systems. Since small, compact cars can be less safe in an accident and large SUVs with many passengers can be distracting, midsized sedans may be a good choice for new drivers.
Reliability
For a credible source on automotive reliability, check out JD Power’s awards. Once you have narrowed down your list, look at forums dedicated to specific cars. You can communicate with other drivers about their experience with that car’s reliability.
New or Used
Once you have decided that you want to purchase a car the question becomes “New or used?” One pro to buying a used car is the more reasonable price range. However, this might be partially offset by repair costs. If you buy a used car make sure all of the safety features are still intact and remember to run a Vehicle History Report on any used car.
Use it as a Teaching Tool
Use this opportunity to inform your teen about the dangers of driving and the responsibilities of owning a car. Check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Teen Drivers Guide for more tips on all the things to be aware of as a teen driver. Also, the financial aspect of owning a car can be used as a teaching tool for your teens as with a cost-splitting system, they will have to manage their own budget to pay for associated costs like gas and repairs.
http://www.thehartfordmile.com/2015/07/21/finding-the-right-car-for-your-teen/?cmp=SOC-PL-Content-01009515
When you’re driving in Coppell, Texas, it’s important to always focus on the roads. Even when you’re a good driver, accidents can happen. You may not be aware of all of your surroundings because of being drowsy. This is why it’s a good idea to make sure you can stay awake at all times.
Approximately 60% of all adult drivers say they have driven while drowsy and approximately 37% have actually fallen asleep at the wheel. This is very dangerous and leads to around 100,000 crashes every single year.
If you’re too tired to drive, admit this to yourself before ever getting behind the wheel. Ask someone else to do the driving or pull over at a hotel for the night. Whenever you are doing long distance driving, it’s smart to drive with a partner so you can alternate driving. If you start to get sleepy, it’s best to admit it so you don’t get into an accident.
It’s not just other drivers on the road that you have to worry about when driving. You could veer off the side of the road, hit a tree, or swerve into oncoming traffic. Any of these scenarios can be fatal and it’s not worth the risk.
You want to make sure you have the right amount of coverage on you and your car when you take to the road. However, all the coverage on the road isn’t going to help if you fall asleep and get into a fatal accident.
Stay awake. It’s the easiest way to avoid accidents when you’re driving in Coppell.
Call and talk to one of our independent agents at The Select Insurance Agency today to learn about auto insurance. We can get quotes from multiple companies and guide you towards a policy with sufficient coverage at a good price.
Spending time out at the BBQ is one of the most fun things about being a homeowner. When you’re in Coppell, Texas the weather can be great throughout many parts of the year. You can have the fun while maintaining safety at the same time.
If you decide to BBQ out on the grill, you want to be safe as a way of protecting your home. While you can have a homeowners’ insurance policy to protect you against smoke and fire damage, the best way to protect your home is to avoid these things entirely.
Keep the grill a fair distance away from your home. You want to bring it outside of any kind of enclosed patio so that the fumes have a place to go. It will also ensure that there is no smoke damage on the walls or ceilings of the enclosure.
You also want to make sure the grill is cleaned after each use. If you don’t scrub the surfaces with a wire brush from time to time, there can be clogs. This can lead to an obstruction of the burners or cause the electronic ignition not to light properly.
It’s also important to never leave the grill unattended. You never know when a flame could dart out or something could fall into the grill, causing a fire. By watching the grill, you can catch problems immediately.
Whether you’re cooking on a gas or a charcoal grill, the safety needs to be in place. This will make it easier for you to enjoy your time at the BBQ and ensure that your house is being kept safe throughout the entire process.
Call and talk to The Select Insurance Agency today. We can help you find a great homeowner’s insurance policy that provides all the coverage that you need at a price that you can afford.
The Lead Source Program at The Select Insurance Agency in Coppell is a way for individuals to earn money by finding people who would like to get a home or auto insurance quote from our independent insurance agency. Lead Generators find friends and family who are interested in allowing our insurance agency to shop our numerous markets to find them better coverage and/or rates on their home or auto insurance. Call us today if you are interested in becoming a Lead Generator for The Select Insurance Agency.
