Tag: dallas home insurance

The Beauty Queen, Donald Trump, and the Lawsuit

On December 18th of last year, a New York arbitrator ordered Ex-Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin to pay $5 million in damages to Donald Trump who owns the Miss Universe Organization which includes the Miss USA pageant. Earlier in the year, Trump sued Ms. Monnin for defamation on behalf of the Miss Universe Organization after she claimed the Miss USA pageant outcome was rigged on both Facebook and NBC’s “Today” show.

Read More »

Insurance Related Bills Before the 2013 Texas Legislature

?There are several insurance related bills before the 2013 Texas Legislative session covering a broad spectrum of issues. There are also a few that aren’t really related to insurance but I’ve included them either because I’ve blogged on them last year or they are related to our overall safety and privacy.

Read More »

Foundation Care During Drought Conditions

Drought continues to cling to the western states. Mountain snowfall has been thin through much of the winter months and water levels in many lakes and reservoirs have less water than they did a year ago. Parts of Colorado have been declared extreme drought areas. Our neighbors to the north in Oklahoma and Nebraska are facing rainfall deficits of up to 16 inches with 55.8 % of the United States remaining in drought conditions. Unless spring snow and rainfall picks up, it could be a long hot summer.

Read More »

Texas Insurance Update for 2013

Every year, I like to review the current state of personal insurance for Texas. Personal insurance is what most individuals and families concern themselves with. It includes car, home (condo & town homes), renters, and umbrella insurance policies. The goal is to help most people keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening. An informed consumer is a powerful force!

Read More »

The Tornado, The Mattress, & The Claim

?During the days of May 3 through 6 in 1999, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas and Tennessee experienced a huge tornadic event. Approximately 66 storms swept through these States. The most devastating was an F5 level tornado that struck Oklahoma City and the surrounding suburbs of Bridge Creek, Moore, Del City, Tinker Air Force Base, and Midwest City. The storm claimed the lives of 48 people and caused $1.1 Billion in damage. Many homes were wiped clean, leaving only rubble strewn slabs of which most were warped by the suction of the funnel.

Read More »

Should Our Taxes Pay For Consumer Protection?

?Texas funds two insurance related agencies through our property taxes and other taxes that are levied on individuals and businesses; The Texas Department of Insurance and The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel. The roles of these two agencies differ in some key areas and converge where most Texans are concerned.

Read More »

Sinkholes and Texas Home Insurance

?On the evening of March 1, 2013, a sinkhole opened up under the home of Jeff Bush in Seffner, Florida. It opened in a matter of seconds resulting in the floor underneath Bush’s bedroom giving way. Attempts to rescue Bush failed and he was presumed dead in the days that followed. The home was demolished a few days later.

Read More »

Avoiding Identity Theft During Tax Season

It’s tax season! If you haven’t already filed, you have 38 more days before it’s due. For most filers, this is a busy time. I’m pulling my information together and organizing it for my CPA to make his job a little easier when we meet next week. This is also a busy time for identity thieves. While they never rest, they love this time of year. The amount of data on our returns is truly amazing.

Read More »

Does Home Insurance Cover Meteor Damage?

On Friday, February 15th, a meteor entered the earth’s atmosphere at approximately 9:20 a.m. above Chelyabinsk, a town of about 1 million inhabitants in central Russia. The 50 foot wide, 7,700 ton meteor caused a blinding flash of light as it traveled at 40,000 miles per hour or over 52 times the speed of sound. Most of the meteor’s energy was consumed in the upper atmosphere about 9 miles above the earth’s surface. The energy released in the upper atmosphere was equivalent to at least 20 atomic bombs about the size of one exploded above Hiroshima.

Read More »