Month: August 2015

Do You Need Renters Insurance? 3 Facts to Consider

Posted on by AgentInsure

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably always thought of renters insurance as an afterthought—something that would be nice to have but wasn’t a total necessity. Unfortunately, many renters find out the hard way that not having coverage is a big mistake.

Here are three facts to consider to help you decide whether or not you need renters insurance.

Fact #1: Renters Insurance Covers Your Personal Property

The top reason why many purchase this type of coverage is that it pays to replace your personal property if you have a covered claim. For example, if there is a fire in your apartment or you have a break-in, your policy will pay to replace the damaged or stolen items without forcing you to pay out of pocket.

However, one of the most overlooked facets to renters insurance is that it also covers your items during travel. This means that if you have belongings stolen from your suitcase or taken from your car, they would most likely be replaced using your policy. This is an important tidbit to remember if you regularly take vacations or business trips.

Fact #2: Your Landlord Might Require a Renters Policy

Most financial savvy landlords understand that their property coverage does not include personal belongings of tenants. This means that if there is any sort of incident, they are not required to replace your stuff. Furthermore, if someone becomes injured while visiting your apartment, your landlord is also not liable for any medical bills incurred during the incident.

This is why many landlords and property management companies now require tenants to have rental insurance and show proof of coverage. By making this a condition of renting the apartment, the landlord is ensuring you know that they are not in any way responsible for your personal items or any liability incidents.

Fact #3: Renters Insurance is Affordable

Renter’s insurance is often more affordable that most believe. Policy premiums usually only range between one and two hundred dollars a year—equating to only a few dollars per month for added peace of mind. Furthermore, many carriers often give a substantial discount off your auto insurance for having both types of coverage in force.

Of course, exact coverages and discounts available regarding renters insurance vary by individual circumstance. For more information on this type of coverage or any others, please contact our team at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today.

The Proper Way to Care for Your Car’s Braking System

Posted on by AgentInsure

When it comes to keeping your car on the road, one of  the most important components is its braking system. After all, you can’t safely drive a car if its brakes aren’t functioning properly. Because of this, it’s imperative that you create a braking system maintenance plan and make sure to stick to it. Here are a few tips you can follow when creating a custom braking system maintenance plan for your vehicle. 

Know what to look for

First, you need to be aware of the signs to look for that directly relate to your braking system. These signs might include:

  • Dashboard braking system symbol is on or flashing
  • Brake pedal must be almost fully pressed to the floor before it the brakes start to engage
  • Vehicle wants to pull left or right when using the brakes
  • Any type of noise — screeching, grinding, clicking, etc. — means your brakes need maintenance
  • You feel a vibration or pulse when using the brakes

They will eventually need to be replaced

No matter how well you take care of your braking system, your maintenance plan should account for brake replacements. Depending on the wear and tear that you put on the car, you may have to replace your brakes once every 70,000 miles. Do keep in mind, however, that if you are hard on your brakes, they will need replaced sooner. 

Keep an eye on your brake fluid

Making sure the brake fluid is properly topped off is essential to the life of your brakes. Any time that the brake fluid is dark in color, it needs to be flushed out and replaced. 

For more tips on taking care of your braking system, contact Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today. 

Keep Your Pets Safe During The Summer In Laurel

Posted on by AgentInsure

Living in Laurel, Maryland can be a lot of fun. Regardless of what kind of home you have, you may have pets. During the summer, you want to do all that you can in order to keep your pets as safe and as healthy as can be.

Dehydration can be a dangerous thing. The hottest times of the day are when you need to keep your pet inside. If you enjoy exercising with your pet at your side, do so during the early morning or late evening hours. Whenever you do take your pet outside, especially for long walks, bring a bottle of water for them to drink and remember to relax in the shade from time to time.

Whenever you are outside, you have shoes on as a way of keeping your feet clean and well protected. You need to do the same thing for your pets. The hot concrete can be very hot on the delicate pads of dogs and cats. There are adhesive pads, booties, and other forms of protection that you can purchase for your pet.

Ensure that your pets have access to plenty of clean water during the summer, whether they stay inside or outside. You can also mix in some wet food when you feed them dry food because this has approximately 70% water. It is an extra tip that can help them stay hydrated.

Some of the other things that you can do to keep your pet safe include:

  • Never leave them in a parked car
  • Use life vests on a boat
  • Get them on heartworm medication

At Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial, we’re here to help you with home insurance and more. Call us today and let one of our agents help find affordable quotes for a policy that you can count on.

 

 

Teen Driving in Laurel: Top Tips for Safety

Posted on by AgentInsure

Teens are often so excited about getting their driver’s license that they forget to actually prepare for driving. Fortunately, as a parent, you can demonstrate to them how important it is to study traffic laws, and you can also make sure your teen gets in lots of practice driving hours. Whether it be letting your teen drive on a daily basis or for several hours on the weekend, you’ll want to make sure they get experience driving in various forms of weather. The more practiced they are, the better of a driver they will be. 

When you’re letting your teen practice driving, make sure that he stays off the phone. Being distracted by a cell phone is one of the primary causes of accidents. Think about it. When your teen is texting and driving, he won’t likely see when a vehicle stops in front of him, nor can he clearly see pedestrians. The easiest way to make sure a phone doesn’t cause a wreck is to stay off of it when driving. 

You’ll also want to express to your teen the importance of making sure everyone in the car is buckled up. Wearing seat belts can save lives, and this is not only important for the driver, but everyone in the car. 

Lastly, you should make sure your teen knows how to read warning lights correctly. If one of them was to light up on the dashboard, it’s important to see what caused the warning. If it’s something similar to low tire pressure or low brake fluid, this is something that needs to be fixed as soon as possible. 

To learn more about safe teen driving in Laurel, contact Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today.