7 Questions to Ask About Greensboro Auto Insurance

If you take a minute to Google Greensboro Auto Insurance you'll get nearly 500,000 results! Seriously? That's almost double the population of Greensboro. Who knew Greensboro auto insurance agencies were so prolific?

Actually, there's one listing that pegs the number of Greensboro auto insurance agents and brokers at 123 and provides a complete alphabetical listing. But with all these choices, how are you supposed to narrow down your selection?

First off, many agents represent one single insurer, meaning they have few options as to what they can offer a client. Independent brokers, on the other hand, represent multiple insurance companies and are able to offer a much wider selection of comparative policies. If you're looking for maximum options, look to an independent broker representing a collection of different insurers.

Questions To Ask

Whether you've just started driving and are looking for your first policy or you've been with the same company awhile but have decided to shop around to see if you can get a better deal, there are some questions you should have ready to ask your prospective insurance provider. You may have a basic idea about how car insurance works but lack knowledge regarding the finer points of a policy. Your goal isn't necessarily to get the very best policy possible or the least expensive. What you want is the best value for your money. Asking the following questions can help in accomplishing this. Remember, when comparing one policy to another you need to be comparing apples to apples, which means similar benefits, deductibles, discounts and premium amounts.

1. Will my insurance cover others driving my car? How about me driving a car belonging to someone else?
2. How does my job affect my coverage? Can I be involved in sales or delivery activities and still be covered? (Most policies do not cover these activities).
3. What discounts do I qualify for? Can you tell me about  all your discounts? (This is important. Many agents won't bring up all applicable discounts unless asked).
4. What coverage should I have over and above the minimums required by the State of North Carolina?
5. How is my premium affected by the deductible amounts I choose?
6. What are the premium payment options and which will give me the biggest discount?
7. What exactly does my insurance cover? (Get a walk-through of policy details).

Hopefully these questions will help as you shop for your automobile coverage.

7 Reasons to Consider a Travelers Home Insurance Policy

Searching for the best company to write your home insurance coverage can be a complicated task, with so many insurers out there competing for your business. Fortunately, there are companies willing to do much of the work for you. They'll find insurers that write competitive policies that fit your needs and then present you with a list of options you can study to find what looks best for you. At the end of the day, you want quality coverage from a well-rated company that you can obtain at competitive prices. In our opinion, Travelers Insurance fits all three of these requirements, and we've recommended them to many of our clients.

Travelers Insurance

Travelers, founded in 1864, is the third-largest personal insurance writer in the United States, with offices in all states and others worldwide. They have approximately 14,000 brokers and independent agents representing their various insurance lines. Their claims representatives are well-trained professionals and can be found in more than 100 service centers nationwide offering 24/7 claims reporting. Here are some other reasons to consider a Travelers Home Insurance Policy:

1. Travelers home insurance policies are individually designed to fit your specific needs and your budget.
2. Dwelling coverage provided by Travelers protects your home against a long list of perils that may befall your home and cause losses.
3. Coverage for other structures like garages or sheds can also be covered.
4. Your personal possessions are covered by personal property coverage that extends to the belongings in your home as well as those that may become lost, damaged or stolen elsewhere.
5. If you suffer a covered loss under your dwelling coverage you may also recover living expenses if your home is uninhabitable. This is called loss of use coverage.
6. If someone visiting your home becomes injured or their property becomes damaged, liability coverage will protect you in the event that you're sued or required to pay for the damages or loss.
7. While your personal belongings are covered up to certain policy limits, you can add protection for especially valuable possessions like artwork, jewelry, coin or stamp collections, guns, furs and anything else of high value beyond your standard policy's limits. You can either add on coverage to raise limits on all valuables or take out separate coverage, called a floater, which adds protection for each item individually.

Be sure to obtain proper insurance coverage. You never know when it will be needed!

Property Protection: How to Secure Your Windows

According to recent statistics there are approximately two million residential burglaries reported each year in the U.S. This represents a home intrusion occurring about every 13 seconds. It's been shown that thieves prefer easy entry into homes such as those with unlocked doors/windows. Somewhere around 30% of home burglaries are reported to be made through open or unlocked windows or doors and the average value of stolen property per robbery is $2,251, which equates to about four and a half billion dollars total per year. And where does all that money come from? As you may have guessed, a portion of it comes from the premiums for every homeowners insurance policy written by all the insurers in the country since it's the homeowners insurance companies who end up paying for these losses.

An Ounce of Prevention

In order to help you in protecting your property, we'll provide a few tips here on how to best secure your windows from intrusion.

• The first rule, especially in light of the knowledge that almost a third of home burglaries are committed by the thieves entering through open or unlocked windows and doors, is to always lock your doors and windows, even when you're at home. If your windows open by sliding sideways, put a strong stick, a small-diameter pipe or a piece of PVC pipe in the channel. Do the same for your sliding glass doors. If you like to leave these windows or doors partially open when at home, have a second piece of wood or pipe cut about six inches shorter for use at these times.
• Further secure your windows by adding window alarms that sound off whenever a window is opened. Stickers and lawn signs informing would-be intruders that your home is alarmed is a good tactic. Use generic signs since advertising the brand of your alarm system can help a burglar overcome it. A home without an alarm is three times more likely to be burglarized, yet only 27% of American homes have working alarm systems.
• Add some tinted film to your downstairs windows. This makes it difficult for would-be intruders to see in and keeps your windows from shattering if they become broken. This film also keeps homes cooler in summer and lowers energy bills.
• You can install grilles or bars to your windows, just make sure they open from the inside in the event of a fire.