Defend Your Home Against Burglaries and Home Invasions
If you were anywhere near a television in June of 2013, you likely saw this graphic video of a horrifying New Jersey home invasion broadcast repeatedly on national news programs. It’s the stuff of nightmares, and unfortunately, according to the FBI, these violent break-ins—and less violent burglaries—are not as uncommon as you may think. Nearly 50,000 “robberies within residences” occurred in 2011. That’s a rate of nearly 137 per day. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to defend your home against these types of attacks. In most cases, both violent home invaders and simple burglars...
Read MoreHave You Cosigned Student Loans?
If amassing the largest quantity of college debt is a contest, it appears that the Class of 2014 has won. According to one analysis of government data, the average graduating college student this year had $33,000 in student loans. After adjusting for inflation, that’s nearly twice the amount students borrowed two decades ago. And parents who cosigned loans for their children may be on the hook for it. Not all students are eligible for federal financial aid in the form of subsidized college loans. Some have to turn to private loans for all—or at least a portion—of their tuition and fees. With...
Read MoreDo You Really Need that Car Rental Insurance?
It’s a question you hear every time you rent a car: “Would you like to purchase insurance for this rental?” If you’re particularly cautious, you may even be tempted to answer in the affirmative, despite the fact that full supplemental coverage is prohibitively expensive, actually doubling the cost of rentals according to the United Services Automobile Association. Fortunately, there’s a good chance you don’t even need it. Consider the following before you approach the rental counter. Your regular auto insurance may already cover your rental. In many cases, the liability coverage you have on...
Read MoreAre You at Risk for Medical Identity Theft?
When you think about the dangers associated with identity theft, you likely imagine shadowy criminals using your financial information to apply for credit cards or take out loans. While these actions can devastate your credit score—and often take years to repair—there’s another hazard that goes beyond that important number. It’s the theft of your medical identity, and according to experts at the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) in San Diego, more than 1.8 million Americans became victims of this crime in 2013. In fact, according to the ITRC, stealing medical insurance information and...
Read MoreWhy You Need More Personal Liability Insurance
According to the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, civil lawsuits, including those involving personal liability claims, cost the U.S. economy $233 billion each year. The average compensation payout for a civil injury suit is $60,000. The average awarded in a punitive damage lawsuit is $50,000. Most of us don’t have that kind of cash to spare. If we accidentally injure another person—or they injure themselves on our property—we could lose our savings, our home equity and our other assets. Fortunately, insurance offers some protection. Homeowner’s and Auto Insurance While your...
Read MorePet Insurance Basics
Americans love their pets. According to the American Pet Products Association, pet owners in the U.S. spent more than $58 billion on their cats, dogs, rabbits, horses and other critters in 2014. Of that expenditure, $15.25 billion was for veterinary care and $13.14 billion on related supplies and medications. We can all agree, that’s a lot of scratch! But while some pet moms and dads have to pay for routine wellness exams and unexpected vet visits and treatments out of their general household budget, others are thinking ahead. They bought pet insurance, and can rest assured their furry...
Read More