Christmas arrives next week. In addition to knocking out the shopping for those who haven’t finished it yet, many people will be visiting friends and family or packing in a family get away before school starts back up. In many cases, this means, people will be renting a car. The big question I get from clients when travel is about to take place is whether or not their car insurance covers a rental car.
I had lunch on Wednesday with a client. We caught up with each other, discussed how our businesses are doing, and then I reviewed his current insurance coverage and potential changes he should consider. His business is growing, and that means he’s transitioning in how insurance is approached. In these cases, it means insurance changes from a tool that protects cars and homes to providing financial protection. The question we discussed was how much car insurance is needed to protect him and his family.
The countdown to Christmas is in full swing. In case you’re wondering, there are 17 more shopping days till Christmas, although it would be hard to not know that based on the advertisements on TV, radio, and everywhere else. Even on Monday night football, ESPN has its Zales Extraordinary Moments and there’s ever present “diamond kind of love.”
The holiday season is here and with it comes holiday parties, lights, decorations, and of course, shopping at malls and online. In addition to the shopping centers and malls being crowded with shoppers, there are people looking to cash in on what you just purchased for the special people in your life.
While most of us celebrate, there are those who look to take advantage of others during this season. Break-ins occur during this time of year, and it’s not just cars. Thieves break in to homes too. Here are 6 steps you can take to prevent a home break in during a time of year we should be celebrating.
The Dallas Fire Department arrived at a home in east Dallas about 10 days ago. The home was on fire, yet they were able to put the fire out within 30 minutes. The good news is no one was hurt as the family wasn’t home when it started. It turns out the fire started in the attic. Some overloaded older wiring shorted, sparked and started the fire. What overloaded the wiring raises an interesting question about whether or not the home insurance will cover this fire claim.
The internet of things and connected cars made a splash in Dallas area media last week. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that AT&T is headquartered here! Connected cars are here and they are growing rapidly, even without a “killer app.” While AT&T has over 100 million customers using wireless, video, broadband, and even land lines services, the big growth potential appears to be connected cars.
Most people don’t think about insurance fraud, yet it does exists and is a problem for insurance companies, as well as you and me. Last week, I introduced this topic by looking at car insurance fraud (see https://wiseinsurancegroup.com/car-insurance-fraud/) using two examples that were in the news. Here, I continue the theme by examining it by looking at fraudulent home insurance claims.
Have you ever heard of Andy House or Ted Lilly? You may have heard of Ted Lilly if you follow baseball closely but most people may not recognize Andy House’s name. Here’s a clue, they have something in common, and it’s not sports, the schools they attended, or where they were born. Still not sure? The answer is they both committed insurance fraud with their vehicles.
Last Sunday, the Dallas Morning News published an article about Kristen and Wade Lair. The article related the issues the Lair’s have faced working with city hall on a home they bought to rehab in east Dallas. Their story outlines some of the issues homeowners face when buying a home in a historic district. It also provides an excellent backdrop on home insurance for homes in historic districts.
Subscribe to my newsletter by filling the form below.
A confirmation email will be sent to your mailbox: please read the instructions to complete the subscription.
