Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial: Home Insurance

Mother nature isn’t always kind. Regardless of where you call home, we’ve all lived through thunderstorms, hail, hurricanes, floods, and many other natural disasters. These events taught us that nature isn’t always our friend. Hopefully, we also learned the importance of home insurance. 

Home insurance policies protect our homes, which for most of us, is the most expensive and significant piece of property we own. We depend on home insurance to provide the money we need to repair our roofs, siding, and the exterior of our homes. We also need to protect the structure and foundation of our property when our neighborhood is hit by a flood or a hurricane. While not everyone is in a region where flooding or hurricanes are a concern, many others are. Don’t ignore these serious threats to your home. Call an agent and ask if you’re in a flood plain or at risk for property damage from a hurricane. 

Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial also covers losses due to a fire. You never know when your home will fall victim to a lightning strike or an electrical fire. Don’t wait for that to happen. Prepare yourself and your home for the worst. 

Home insurance is vital to our families and our communities. Don’t choose just any insurance company; work with a company you can trust. Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial offers affordable home insurance policies. They’re experienced staff will work with you from day one. They’ll help you find the best policy for your family, without losing sight of your budget. 

So, if you’re in the market for quality home insurance, look no further than Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial in Laurel, MD. Contact them or visit their office today to speak with an experienced representative. You, your family, and your home will thank you. 

Home Insurance Add Ons You Need in Maryland

The exact kind of home insurance you need will vary based on where you live. The home insurance you need in Texas varies from that in California, and both are different from what you need in Laurel, MD. At Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial, we want to make sure you are properly protected for any situation. Here are few of the home insurance add-ons you should consider when living in the area. 

Flooding Insurance

From rainfall to melting snow, you may be surprised as to how often flooding occurs in Laurel, MD. Additionally, heavy storms can creep up the coast and cause other problems connected with the sudden downpour of water. As flooding occurs more frequently than many realize, this is an insurance add-on you need to look into. 

Technology and Computer Coverage

This is similar to what renters pay when opting in for renter’s insurance. Your home insurance policy protects the house but it may not protect everything inside the house (make sure to discuss this when going over your policy to know exactly what your current policy covers). If you have valuable electronics, computers and other forms of technology, you should look into this kind of coverage. 

Personal Umbrella 

This is an add-on that most homeowners should look into. With personal umbrella insurance, it can protect you against potential lawsuits from both people you know and those just walking past your home. 

Every property is different. Even those properties located specifically in and around Laurel, MD. The property you have may need a different policy add on to properly protect it and to safeguard your investment. Whatever your property is, at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial we are here to assist. So whether you have questions regarding insurance policies or are ready to begin protecting your home, give us a call. We’re here to help.

3 Things You Can Do To Lower Your Insurance Rates In Laurel MD

The very best thing that you can do to keep your insurance rates low is to simply be a safe driver. However, there’s a lot more to it than that, isn’t there? Safe driving is a foundation for low insurance costs, but it’s only a starting point. Insurers, on average, are taking a bigger risk on, for instance, a teenager who lives in the city than a forty year old who lives in the country. Some of us are lucky enough to be part of just the right demographics so we’ll never be paying very much for coverage, but for the rest of us, we need to find ways to offset insurance risk factors. Here are a few ways you can lower your rates in Laurel, MD.

Consider Insurance Costs Before Buying A Car

The car you buy can have a huge impact on what you’re paying each month for insurance. A reliable compact for instance may cost a third or less than a model that has known safety issues. Of course this might not be an option but it is worth considering if you can.

Ask for Higher Deductibles

The higher your deductibles, the less you’re going to be paying each month.

Take Any Discounts You Can Get

Different insurers will offer different discounts, so make sure to ask about everything from anti theft device discounts to discounts for advanced driving courses. These discounts could wind up saving you hundreds throughout the year.

Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial can help to connect you to an insurer that’s right for you, but there is actually quite a bit that you can do on your own time to ensure a lower rate.

 

 

Types of Home Insurance

Home insurance can be as complicated as auto insurance if you are not sure what type of policy or coverage you need. With the right help like that provided by the agents with Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial, those in the Laurel, MD area can get the coverage they need.

There are a few different types of home insurance, the most basic policies cover things like damage from storms and natural forces. These can include things like tornado, wind storm, ice and snow, and even falling trees. This is going to help you keep your home safe from the forces of nature that may strike at any time.

Most basic policies also cover fire. This means that if your home burns down due to forces that were unforeseen and unpreventable, your homeowner’s insurance will help pay to repair or replace or may pay out enough to get an entirely new home. These basic coverages are in place to help protect your property and make sure you can replace or repair your home in the event of a monumental disaster.

For some, hurricane home policies, flood policies, and more specialized policies may be needed. If you do not live near water, flood insurance is likely not necessary. If you do not live near the coast or in an area that is affected by hurricanes you are likely not to need hurricane insurance either. If you are having trouble deciding what policies work best for you and what policies you need, you can always talk with an agent that can help outline what policies you need.

Just like auto insurance, if you have a mortgage on your home you are required to hold home insurance. If you own your home outright, you can opt out of home insurance.

For all your home insurance questions if you live in the Laurel, MD area, contact Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today.

Do You Need Comprehensive Auto Insurance?

If you’ve paid off your car and don’t have lender requirements for insurance, you have the option to only maintain liability insurance as required by law to protect other cars when you drive. However, dropping comprehensive insurance in Laurel MD isn’t always the best idea. Comprehensive insurance has added benefits which protect the value of your car in the case of an accident which isn’t covered by another driver’s insurance or in the case of theft or vandalism.

Bank Loan Requirements

Bank loan requirements are relatively simple and straightforward. Even with the best of intentions, people will refuse to continue paying for their car loan if the automobile has been wrecked or is no longer driveable. Insurance against such an occurrence protects the bank as it pays of the money you were lent . Additionally, it protects you by paying off the money you owe rather than allowing your credit rating to be destroyed and prevent from not only being able to buy another car but take any other type of loan you may need to better your life.

Protecting Your Investment

If you can afford to buy your car outright without a loan, choose a less expensive used model which doesn’t need a loan, or if you’ve completely paid off the car over time, you don’t have a legal obligation to maintain comprehensive insurance although it’s a good idea to. It is still your car and will be difficult to replace if an unforeseen accident occurs. Beyond simply providing for your legal obligations insurance protects your interest in the investment of an automobile.

Be sure to discuss your needs with our insurance agents at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial serving Laurel MD to find an appropriate policy which best suits your personal situation.

Recycling in Your Home

We do a lot of things to protect our home and make our quality of life better. However, one thing that many people are not yet doing is finding a way to recycle items in their home. Recycling not only makes your home life better but it also helps the environment as a whole. It is important to recycle but sometimes we do not always know what we can recycle. Use these tips to get started today.

  • Plastic: Plastic is something that most people know they can recycle. However, sometimes this is limited. You can recycle a lot of plastic items in your home other than plastic water bottles. A good example of this would be plastic grocery bags. Before you throw anything away that is plastic, make sure you cannot recycle it first.
  • Paper: Paper is also one of those things that people know they can recycle but they do not do it enough. There are so many paper products in homes that can be recycled such as paper plates, paper cups, junk mail, and more.
  • Glass: Glass is something that can be recycled but not all people consider this when they are recycling. To recycle glass, all you have to do is rinse it out before you put it in the bin. It is very easy to recycle and should be taken advantage of.
  • Batteries: Batteries are not always something someone considers to recycle but you may even find a place in Laurel, MD, that will pay you to recycle them. You can recycle all kinds of batteries such as AA, AAA, laptop batteries, and cell phone batteries. If they no longer hold a charge, you can probably recycle them somewhere. Do some research to find a place to recycle your batteries and make some extra money on the side.

Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial, serving Laurel, MD, wants to help you find the perfect home insurance policy for your needs and budget. Contact us today!

Why Laurel, MD auto insurance is important

Located smack between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Laurel, Maryland is an ideal place for people who work in either city to own a home and raise a family. With everything close but far enough way that walking or biking is probably out of the question, it also means residents of this town will need a car of some kind to get from place to place. That’s why it’s incredibly important that those who live in Laurel, MD also have auto insurance of some kind. The reasons for this are listed below.

PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

While everyone is supposed to have auto insurance in the event of an accident there are many people out there who do not, or don’t want to stick around after an accident occurs. There is also a chance that you could be at fault for the accident and cause injuries to yourself or others in your vehicle. So you will need auto insurance to cover these medical bills just in case something like this happens, so it doesn’t leave you paying an exorbitant amount in the future for an accident that happened in the past.

PROTECT OTHER VEHICLES, AS WELL AS YOUR OWN

Auto insurance also protects your vehicle from any damage that may be inflicted upon it in the event of an accident. But it also protects other vehicles on the road that may be damaged in an accident that is deemed your fault. Without auto insurance or enough coverage on your policy, you could be forced to pay for the repairs to a number of vehicles that could cause a serious financial problem in the future.

HAVE PIECE OF MIND

Just knowing you are covered in the event something unpredictable like an accident occurs makes it easier for you to drive and live in a place like Laurel, MD. And there is no real price you can put on piece of mind.

Laurel, MD means auto insurance policy options

When it comes to choosing the right insurance policy for your Laurel, MD vehicles, there are plenty of options. Rather than spend all your time going around from company to company, trying to find a great deal, you can work with the independent agents at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial to find a policy. That way you can get information from a lot of different companies all in one place. That can give you peace of mind and the best insurance policy for your vehicle and your needs. Some people want only minimum coverage and others are interested in much more, but it’s still important to choose the right company.

With the number of companies that offer auto insurance today, it can also get confusing when it comes to what type of insurance you need, how much it costs, and which companies are rated the best. If you find a company that is inexpensive but have trouble when you make a claim, that might not be the right company for your auto insurance needs. There are a lot of companies that service the Laurel, MD area, so asking an independent agent to help you choose the right policy is often a much easier, better way of locating what you need and making sure your car is financially protected if you get into an accident.

With Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial, you can get an independent agent who will work with you and give you all the advice you need in order to find the right policy. Getting your questions answered is important, and so is knowing you have someone on your side when you need it. As your life changes, so might your auto insurance needs. Keeping in touch with your agent can help you always have the right auto coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions About Winterizing Your Pipes

During the winter months, water sitting in pipes can freeze in Laurel, MD due to freezing temperatures. When water freezes, it expands. If this happens in the pipes, the expansion can cause the pipe to crack or burst. When water flows through that damaged pipe, you will have a flood on your hand. This is why winterizing pipes is so important. Unfortunately, many homeowner’s don’t know about winterizing their pipes. Here is some information you need to know.

What Winterizing a Pipe Involves

When a pipe is winterized, all of the water is removed from the pipe. This helps prevent the pipe from freezing. Depending on the type of pipe, you may be able to drain the water from the pipes or you may need to call in a professional plumber to remove the liquid from the pipe.

What Pipes Need to be Winterized

You should always winterize pipes that aren’t used during the winter months. This includes sprinkler systems, pool pipes and all of the pipes in summer homes. Additionally, if you plan on being gone from your home for longer than two weeks in the winter, your home’s pipes should also be winterized to prevent problems.

Winterizing your pipes can prevent you from having to file a claim with your homeowner’s insurance because it prevents damage to your home. In addition to thinking about winterizing your pipes, the fall is also a great time to think about your homeowner’s insurance. If you are not sure if your home is adequately covered or if you want to get quotes for a new policy, contact Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial for all of your homeowner’s insurance needs in the greater Laurel, MD area. We can help you determine if your current policy has enough coverage or help you get a quote for a new policy with more or less coverage, depending on your needs. Give us a call today and let us help you with your homeowner’s insurance needs.

 

Freezing Temps and Pipes: What You Should Know

When the weather drops to freezing temperatures, there are increased risks of freezing pipes. However, there are some things you can do to avoid freezing pipes and all of the financial responsibilities that go along with it. Uses these tips from My Mid-Atlantic Insurance Financial to prep your pipes and prevent some burst pipes. 

  • If you have a pool or a sprinkler system in Laurel, MD, before the temperature drops, you should drain the water from the pipes. Do not put antifreeze into these pipes because it can be harmful to the environment as well as your family or pets. 
  • If you have any hoses that you use outdoors, empty them and bring them inside so they will not freeze. If your valve is outside, you should leave it open so the water inside can expand if it freezes. This will prevent it from causing the pipe to break. 
  • Consider insulating your pipes if they are exposed to the outside. You can check for exposed pipes in your crawl space and around your home. If there are any exposed pipes, getting them insulated will help prevent them from freezing.
  • On cold nights, if there is a likelihood of freezing temperatures, you should leave a faucet dripping so there is continuous water movement which can prevent freezing. Additionally, you can open you cabinets to expose your pipes to the warmth inside your home. This will allow the warmer air to circulate around the pipes. 

Freezing pipes can cause a lot of trouble for your home. While it may not seem like a big deal when it is still freezing but once the temperatures rise, you will have a lot of water in your home. Contact My Mid-Atlantic Insurance Financial serving Laurel, MD today to get a quote for home insurance so you can protect yourself in case your pipes do freeze and you need extra home protection.