Having a child go to college is a wonderful and sometimes slightly scary time for most parents. Son or daughter is spreading their wings, stepping out on their own and beginning to prepare for life as an adult while they figure what their future holds. It is also a time when a son or daughter begins to make decisions for themselves, some of which have adult level consequences.
In case you missed it, the Biggert-Waters Flood Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12) was passed by the U.S. Congress in July of last year. The goal of BW-12 is for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and other agencies to make changes in how the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is administered.
In November of 2012, the states of Colorado and Washington voted to legalize recreational marijuana usage. People can now legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana if they’re over 21. They may also legally grow up to six plants for personal use; however, they may not legally smoke in public places such as parks or on sidewalks.
Technology has made our lives easier, more connected, and even safer. It continues to evolve and change at an incredible rate. A decade ago the only smartphone was a Blackberry which gave rise to mobile email. We now have access to thousands of apps to help us plan menus, shop, take pictures, read books, and connect. Technology has entered our homes too. We have programmable thermostats to manage our power usage, smart home systems that can turn on lights before we arrive, record shows and sporting events when we’d rather watch something else, and washing machines that help us use less water.
Did you catch the story last week about the toddler who bought a car on eBay with her dad’s smart phone? Sorella Stoute, a 14 month girl in Portland, Oregon, was playing with her dad’s smart phone. She opened the eBay app on dad’s phone and submitted the winning bid on a 1962 Austin Healey.
I’ve had a couple of interesting discussions with clients about their car insurance renewals. In both cases, their car insurance rate increased and both wanted to know why. Most of the carriers systems don’t give me a clear reason, so I called each company and we reviewed each client’s policy together. Most of the factors that led to rate increases were understandable and one was a surprise.
There have been a number of DUI related items in the news over the last 8 months. Most of the news items have come from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) with its recommendations and its Reaching Zero program.
On a cloudy day in March, I went by the post office to drop off some items and pick up my mail. There was the normal mail, a bill or two, a movie and a large envelope from D Magazine. I almost threw the D Magazine envelope away thinking it was a solicitation for a new subscription but didn’t. I was pretty amazed to learn I’d been selected as one of the Best Home and Auto Insurance Agents in Dallas 2013.
Identity theft, and the fraud associated with it, is a growing problem in the US and across the globe. Out of 2.06 million complaints reported to the Federal Trade Commission, 370,800 were identity theft related. In Texas, the rate of identity theft complaints rose 17% from 2011 to 2012, or 28, 299 up from 24,162.
Last week I posted 6 Non-Driving Factors That Impact Your Car Insurance Rate, http://50.87.248.161/~wiseinsu/6-non-driving-factors-that-impact-your-car-insurance-rate/, and thought I’d follow up with the 3 driving related factors that impact your car insurance rate. These are …
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