Halloween Safety Tips for Parents

Halloween is one of children's most loved holidays. It gives them the opportunity to dress up like their favorite superhero or princess and go door-to-door to collect an endless supply of candy. However as a parent, you know that these fun times always come with potential dangers, so we at Hunter Insurance are here to help prepare you for this extended night of trick-or-treating.

Below is a list of helpful tips to protect your children from any potential dangers on and after Halloween night:

Costumes:

• Choose brightly colored costumes, add reflective tape or have your children wear glow sticks so motorists can see them
• Replace masks with face paint to avoid obstructing their vision
• Attach your child’s name, address and phone number inside the costume
• Always choose comfortable shoes for walking to avoid being uncomfortable

Trick-or-Treating:

• If you aren’t going out with your children, plan out their route and remind them to stick to it
• Teach your children to never respond to any adult calling out to them they don’t know
• Remind your children not to eat any of the candy until they get home or until after you have inspected it
• To avoid them from eating candy on their route, cook a well-balanced meal prior to going out
• Tell them not to approach any stray animals
• Make sure your children have flashlights if they plan to stay out after dark
• Establish an appropriate curfew
• Teach your children proper traffic etiquette: stay on the sidewalks and be sure to look and listen before crossing the street
• Remind them to never go inside a stranger’s house

After Trick-or-Treating:

• Inspect your child’s candy for any wrappers that appear to have been tampered with - throw away any unwrapped, opened or suspicious items
• Try to limit the amount of candy they eat
• Encourage sharing and trading to develop good habits 

At Hunter Insurance, we know that providing a good time for your children on Halloween while keeping them safe is a top priority. Therefore, we suggest that you print and keep these tips on your fridge and review them with your child so they have a full understanding of how to keep themselves away from danger. Whether you are traveling with your scary little goblins or allowing your beautiful ballerinas to venture with friends, just remind them to have fun, be safe and stay aware.

From all of us at Hunter Insurance, Happy Halloween!

Information for this article provided by: Halloween Safety Information for Parents and Halloween Health & Safety Tips

Protecting Your Student This Season

It’s August, which means if you have a teenager getting ready to leave for college, you have a lot on your to-do list.  But besides shopping for the usual clothes, bedding, and other miscellaneous items, don’t forget to add the most important task: insuring their belongings.

College students bring with them a lot of expensive items – computers, printers, iPods, TVs, etc.  But living in a dorm or university community allows for ample opportunities for theft or damage. According to a survey conducted by the Independent Insurance Agents of America, Inc., (IIAA) more than 100,000 property crimes on college campuses are reported to police each year, and thieves steal an average of $1,250 in student property per theft. 

At Hunter Insurance, we want to inform you of two types of ways that you can use an insurance policy to protect your student for the upcoming school year:

1. Using Your Homeowners Policy: If your child lives in a dorm or other college-owned property, their possessions are typically covered automatically against loss, theft, and damage under your homeowners policies. However, coverage is often limited to only 10 percent of the policy's coverage for contents. Therefore, if your policy covers contents for $100,000, the limit for your student's materials would be $10,000.

2. Renters Insurance: If your child doesn't live in college-owned housing, your homeowners policy won't provide coverage. Fortunately, however, there is the option to take out a renter’s insurance policy for about $15 to $30 a month. Similar to homeowners insurance, these types of policies come in two basic forms: Actual cash-value policies cover the value of the item at the time of loss, taking depreciation into account, and replacement-value policies cover the cost of replacing the lost item with a new one. Replacement-value policies cost more, though both types are subject to the coverage limits.

Protecting what matters most to you is our biggest priority at Hunter Insurance, and we know that the safety of your children is yours. Before your child settles into their college residence, call us at 769-9500 to discuss your options.  You won’t regret knowing your child, and their belongings, are safe and secure. 

Information for this article provided by: How to Insure Your College Student and Reslife.net

Insurance Rates Improving for Older Drivers

You might be surprised to learn that today’s drivers aged 70 and over are much more cautious and are less prone to accidents than previous generations.  According to a study by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, older drivers are less likely to be involved in crashes and are less likely to be killed or seriously injured if they do crash.

Due to the fact that cars are technologically getting safer and seniors today are generally healthier, the growing age of baby boomers have been making roads safer since the mid 90’s. The study found that from 1997 to 2012, fatal crash rates per licensed driver fell 42 percent for older drivers and 30 percent for middle age ones.  While also accounting for miles traveled, fatal crash rates fell 39 percent for older drivers and 26 percent for middle age ones from 1995 to 2008.

In compliance with these statistics, older drivers are putting more miles on the odometer than they used to, although they are still driving fewer miles a year than middle-aged drivers. This is especially true for drivers 75 and older, who lifted their average annual mileage by more than 50 percent from 1995 to 2008.

Call Hunter Insurance today at (401) 769-9500 to discuss your current rates and to learn about possible credits you may be entitled to.   

(Source of information - Associated Press)

Protecting Your Property from Flooding – Backflow

The following is an excerpt from the article, “Install Sewer Backflow Valves.”  For more information please visit www.fema.gov.

In some flood prone areas, flooding can cause sewage from sanitary sewer lines to back up through drainpipes into buildings. These backups not only cause damage that is difficult to repair but also create health hazards. A good way to protect buildings from sewage backups is to install backflow valves, which are designed to block drainpipes temporarily and prevent return flow. Backflow valves are available in a variety of designs that range from the simple to the complex.

Keep these tips in mind if you have backflow valves installed:

▪       Changes to the plumbing in your property must be done by a licensed plumber or contractor, who will ensure that the work is done correctly and according to all applicable codes.  They can advise you on the relative advantages and disadvantages of the various types of backflow valves.

▪       Valves should be installed on main waste drainpipes that leave the structure or that are connected to equipment that is below the potential flood level. Therefore, valves may be needed on washing machine drain lines, laundry sinks, fuel oil lines, rain downspouts, and sump pumps, as well as sewer/septic connections.

▪       If you have a sump pump, it may be connected to underground drain lines, which may be difficult to seal off.

We are in the middle of hurricane season and flood season is rapidly approaching. It is crucial you are prepared, and you fully understand what is covered under your insurance policies. For more information on how to protect your home from flooding call Hunter Insurance today at 401.769.9500.

Pursue Those Auto Insurance Discounts

One way to avoid paying too much for your personal automobile insurance is to assure you are getting all the discounts you deserve. The following are discounts you should inquire about. Some may not be available in all states and from all insurers, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. These discounts may significantly affect your insurance premium.

• “Defensive Driving Discount.” This discount can save you 10 percent on most of the major coverages under your auto policy, such as liability, medical payments, and collision coverage. Defensive driving courses can cost as little as $20 and last as few as 5 or 6 hours. However, the discount normally applies for 3 years. For example, if your auto insurance premium is $100 per month, the premium is $3,600 for 3 years. If liability, collision, and medical payments or personal injury protection coverage constitute 85 percent of this $3,600 premium, the resulting premium subject to this discount is $3,060. In this scenario, the actual premium savings would be $306 (10 percent of $3,060) for that
• 3-year period. To get the true savings, you must deduct the cost of the defensive driving class. If the cost is $26, the savings in this example would be reduced to $280. If you spend 6 hours taking the class, you are earning $47 per hour in savings—not an unproductive way to spend a Saturday!
• “Good Student Discount.” Statistics show that good students tend to be more reliable and mature than students with marginal grades, leading to better driving decisions. Therefore, many states allow a 5 to 10 percent discount if your student driver makes good grades, usually an overall “A” or “B” average in high school or college. If your child has to pay his or her own automobile insurance, this will be another motivator for him or her to make good grades.
• “Home/Car Discount.” Many insurers offer discounts of 10 percent or more if they pro-vide both your homeowners and personal automobile insurance. This can lower your costs on both policies.
• “Auto Safety Features.” Most insurers recognize that owners with cars containing safety features may have fewer accidents and reduced injuries. Many insurers encourage drivers to purchase cars with antilock brakes by giving small discounts for these safety features. Other insurers give discounts for vehicles with airbags and daytime running lights.
• “Auto Club and Professional Organizations.” Some insurance companies offer auto insurance discounts if you are a member of AAA or similar organizations.
• “Multicar.” Many insurance companies provide generous discounts up to 15 percent if you have multiple cars on your policy. This reduces the insurance company’s administrative costs, on a per-vehicle basis, in issuing the policy.
• “Long-Term Customer.” More insurance companies are offering discounts of 5 to 10 per-cent if you stay with them at least 5 years.
• “Claims-Free Customer.” If you have been insured with the same insurance company for at least 3 years and have not experienced any losses, inquire about a claims-free customer discount. These discounts help insurers retain customers with excellent driving records.