Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com Miami Home Insurance posterous.com Wed, 23 Jan 2013 07:37:00 -0800 State Level Auto Insurance Relief http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/miami-car-insurance http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/miami-car-insurance

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Across the country, rising costs for auto insurance are hitting some small businesses and many thousands of families. It’s often hard for lower-income drivers to remain insured, yet the threat of uninsured drivers on the road is a major issue for many states. In response, more than a few states have considered additional state assistance programs to help make sure that affordable car insurance is available to as many state residents as possible.

What’s Behind State Auto Insurance Programs

Officials in many states have been looking carefully at what happens when uninsured drivers are involved in collisions. States have created additional coverage for insured drivers to cover these kinds of accidents, but that’s no substitute for actually bringing down the number of uninsured drivers in a given state. Reports from Road and Travel magazine show how many states are experiencing high numbers of uninsured drivers on the road, and which states seem to be falling behind in controlling this liability.

States officials understand that taking uninsured drivers off of the road is critical. That’s why states like California have developed their own programs for making car insurance affordable. These programs must provide liability coverage according to state limits, and often offer fixed premiums that are less expensive than what drivers would usually get on the open market.

Disclosure of State Programs

Some states have also written laws requiring insurance brokers or agents to tell customers about state relief programs. Without these kinds of protections, many of those who need these policies the most will not understand how to get them. State residents need to know about the availability of these programs, along with any eligibility requirements that may apply. Some states may require that drivers applying for low cost auto insurance have a good driving record. Maximum income levels were maximum vehicle values may also apply.

How to Find State Car Insurance Programs

Generally, those looking for state relief for their auto insurance coverage can check with their state’s Department of Insurance or Insurance Commissioner Office. Other state departments may also be able to assist, and generally maintain resources for residents over the Internet. For those who struggle to make car insurance payments and remain legally on the road, it’s a good idea to take a look and see what kinds of state programs may currently be available, or whether any others are pending.

For assistance finding the Miami Car Insurance program that best fits you, call an Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services agent today at 855-754-7414.

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Wed, 17 Oct 2012 06:03:00 -0700 How a Programmable Thermostat Can Save You Money http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/how-a-programmable-thermostat-can-save-you-mo http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/how-a-programmable-thermostat-can-save-you-mo

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There are hundreds of ways that you can customize your home to make it more energy efficient. By installing advanced tech items in your home, for example, you can achieve serious savings on your utility bills every month. Consider that the average homeowner spends about $2,200 dollars on heating and cooling every year, and yet a basic programmable thermostat can be picked up at the local hardware or home-improvement store for around $25.

Installing a programmable thermostat in your home can even save you enough money over the course of a year to pay for a good chunk of your Miami home insurance. According to the EPA and the EnergyStar program, “Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings.” If you spend a considerable amount of time away from the home during the week, these savings can be even higher.

Keep in mind, simply installing the unit won’t result in savings. You have to program it correctly to take advantage of the ability to control the interior temperature of your home when you are away. This can be most effective in households that are vacant for a good portion of the day. If you have a schedule that has you out of the home from 8 am to 5 pm every weekday, you can program your thermostat to allow the home to reach 78 to 80 degrees during the time you are away and then return it to 72 about 30 minutes before you arrive home. You still enjoy the comfort of returning to a cool house without having to run the air conditioner for 8 hours in your absence. At an average cost of about $1.20 an hour, this can save you almost $10 a day during the summer.

The same savings can be had during the winter by programming your thermostat to turn on the furnace 30 minutes before you get home from work. There is no need to heat the home when you aren’t in it. As long as you keep the home at a temperature of 60 degrees or above when you are gone, 30 minutes should be long enough to allow your home to heat up to a comfortable level. For more questions, feel free to contact an agent at Allstar Direct Insurance today.

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Fri, 25 May 2012 06:24:00 -0700 Why Timely Home Repairs Matter http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/why-timely-home-repairs-matter http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/why-timely-home-repairs-matter

At one time or another, every home owner must do repairs to their property—and that’s a good thing. Because home repairs make living at home more pleasant and efficient while also keeping the structure safe for you and your family.

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Home repairs can also have an effect on your home insurance premiums because they may result in the prevention of your home’s further deterioration and they may even result in your home being brought into current code guidelines. Since codes often change to accommodate new materials that are able to better withstand weather and environmental damage, this can make your home less risky to insurers which will result in lower insurance premiums. But saving money on insurance isn’t just about the repair itself; it’s also about the timeliness of the repairs that you do.

The Domino Effect

The little things that happen around your home may seem small at first, but eventually, when left unrepaired, they can turn into much larger problems. For example, a small leak in your roof, left unfixed, can create mold, mildew and rot that weakens your home's structure. With a weakened structure, you may find your house is unable to stand up to wind, hurricane or storm damage. Then, when you have damage--if it is covered by your policy--you will not only have to come up with the money to pay the deductible for the damage but you will also have to deal with the inconvenience and expense of being displaced while repairs are done and you may be facing higher insurance premiums at renewal since you are now a higher risk.

Instead, if you had fixed the leak when you first noticed it, you could have made your home stronger at minimal expense, made certain that your family was not exposed to quickly proliferating mold spores (the removal or remediation of which is generally not covered by home insurance) and that your home was better able to withstand storms and inclement weather.

Timely home repairs can save you money now in preventing extreme damage to your home, and they save you money later by helping to keep home insurance expenses low. When you are ready to get insurance for your home and you are curious about all the ways that you can help get a low premium quote, give us a call at Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services. We can figure out what discount you may be qualified for now and help you maintain a lower Miami Home Insurance premium through the years.

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Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:43:00 -0800 Florida Residents: Do You Need to Increase Your PIP coverage? http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/florida-residents-do-you-need-to-increase-you http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/florida-residents-do-you-need-to-increase-you

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The personal injury protection in your Florida auto insurance policy pays for the medical bills, lost income and other expenses associated with an injury that happens to you and certain passengers you have during a car accident. This coverage is required for all Florida drivers, and it’s a popular benefit, but one that is often purchased in minimal amounts in order to satisfy regulations alone.

The Dangers of Minimal PIP

Buying just the minimum amount of PIP required by law is not a savvy financial move. In Florida, your insurer will likely set your PIP limits at $10,000. Although, with the cost of medical treatment expecting to rise as much as 8.5 percent in 2012, that $10,000 limit will soon be outdated if it isn’t already.

Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping that the state minimums provide sufficient protection for you and your passengers, it may be smarter to increase your limits. You can do so by adding additional PIP coverage or adding Medical Payments coverage.

Options when Increasing PIP

When you increase your PIP coverage, you may choose coverage that excludes ‘work loss.’ That means that the additional PIP benefit will not reimburse you or your family members for any income lost as a result of the injury. This will make the expense of the added PIP easier to bear, but if you don’t have sufficient vacation or sick time benefits or a disability policy, you could be creating further financial problems by choosing this option.

Another important consideration in PIP coverage is the deductible you’ve chosen. You can choose from a PIP benefit with no deductible, or a deductible between $250 and $1,000. While your deductible might seem affordable at first glance, it’s important to remember that auto insurance deductibles are out-of-pocket expenses that the insured is not responsible for per year, but per incident. So if you have multiple incidents within a year you may need to pay your PIP deductible several times.

If you have questions about potential shortfalls in your PIP coverage, or any other aspect of your insurance plan, let us know. We can talk to you about the average amount of the claims in your area and determine whether your current Miami Auto Insurance is sufficient to meet that average and, if not, how the experts at Allstar Direct Insurance can fix it.

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Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:20:00 -0700 Tips for Preventing Electrical Fires http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/tips-for-preventing-electrical-fires http://allstardirectinsurance.posterous.com/tips-for-preventing-electrical-fires Believe it or not, there’s a powerful source of fire right inside your home: electricity. From old defective wiring to overloaded outlets, there are electrical fire hazards everywhere we turn.

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As a matter of fact, more than 40,000 residential fires are caused each year by faulty electrical wiring, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Tragically, defective electrical wiring systems have claimed an average of 350 lives a year for the past decade.

So, how can you ensure that your home's electrical system is fire-proof? Follow these priceless fire prevention tips from the National Electrical Safety Foundation:

  • Check your electrical cords periodically. If you find any cords that are frayed or damaged, replace them. Do not place cords under rugs or carpet.
  • Make sure that your outlets and/or extension cords are not overloaded. If you notice that your lights are dimming, your heater or kitchen appliances are not working properly or your television picture is poor, this could be a sign of an overloaded circuit. Add up the wattage of all the electrical devices plugged into each circuit and keep the total load well below the circuit’s maximum capacity.
  • Do not use high wattage bulbs in light fixtures and lamps that cannot handle them. Always choose the proper wattage bulb for each light.
  • If you have children in your home, install child-proof electrical outlets. This will ensure that a child cannot insert something into an outlet.
  • If your home is more than 40 years old, you should consider updating the entire electrical system. Because older homes often contain aluminum wiring, they are more vulnerable to electrical fires. You should replace the old wires with copper wiring, which is more resistant to electrical fires.
  • Consider installing ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) in your kitchen, bathrooms and utility rooms. A GFCI will shut down the electrical system if it detects an imbalance in electricity, which can help protect your family against electrocution.
  • Install power surge protection devices for large electrical appliances and computers. A power surge, which is a sudden rush of voltage in an electrical circuit, can damage electrical devices plugged into the circuit.
  • Avoid arc faults by installing arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI). Often caused by improper electrical connections, overheated wires or pinched wire insulation, an arc fault is a discharge of electrical currents across a gap that can lead to an electrical fire.
What to do if a fire breaks out

If an electrical fire starts at a wall outlet, pull the plug by the cord if you can get to it safely or turn off the main switch. If the fire is small, use your home CO2 fire extinguisher. NEVER douse an electrical fire with water.

If the electrical fire is large, evacuate your home immediately and call the fire department. Be sure to notify them that it is an electrical fire. They may be able to turn off the main power source, which could keep the fire from spreading.


Make sure you're covered with Miami Home Insurance from Allstar Direct Insurance today!

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