Staying safe this 4th of July weekend

4th of July is the United States’ most festive, patriotic holiday. With the outdoor barbeques, backyard fireworks, and high density of people in homes, it’s easy for things to get out of hand. Here are some tips we have for you to ensure safety while still having fun.

  • Keep everyone in the same place. Outside barbequeing? Usher everyone outside so everybody can play there. That way, if something happens, there are others to help them, call emergency services, or anything else they might need. If you’re heading in, ask people to go inside with you so they’re not left out there unsupervised. Of course, this is just a precaution so if you have an ample number of supervising adults both inside and outside, then this isn’t necessary.
  • Don’t light fireworks near where you’re barbequeing. Or on the grass. This is probably (hopefully!) a given, but don’t light the fireworks near flammable things! Gas powered barbeques may still be emitting gas even when off, and the  fireworks may catch a large fire rather than showing off pretty sparks. Likewise, grass is flammable especially if you live in a dry area like Southern California, so try to keep on the concrete.
  • Have someone supervising the pool (preferably one CPR certified). Especially with kids, the festivities may get them a lot more excited than normal. Even if they are just beginning to learn how to swim, or don’t know how to swim at all, kids may overestimate their abilities in the water when seeing others on the deep end. Because others may not be actively watching, make sure you have somebody checking the pool to make sure everybody’s okay, and preferably CPR certified in case anything does happen.
  • Keep your pets secured. As much as it seems like fun to have your dog running around while you’re setting sparklers on fire, lighting your barbeque, and having a bunch of people constantly running around (actually, it doesn’t seem like fun), your pets can be badly hurt if they accidentally run through fireworks, fall into the pool, get trampled by distracted people, etc. If you must have Fido included in your festivities, make sure he’s on a leash, and actively being watched.
  •  Don’t relight duds, and dispose of all fireworks carefully. Duds could be just a defective firework, in which case lighting them would be extremely dangerous. Even if you think you just didn’t light it correctly, don’t relight fireworks. With a similar precaution in mind, make sure you douse all your used fireworks in water before disposing of them in case they still are quietly burning post-spark.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July from all of us here at Good Deal Insurance!



The confusing realm of homeowners insurance: explained

Homeowners insurance is confusing. All those terms — homeowners insurance, dwelling fire, renters, townhouse… what do they all mean?

We’ll explain it for you here, plain and simple. Nice and easy.

Homeowners Insurance Homeowners insurance is for homes that are owned and occupied by you, and isn’t considered anything except a standard family house. (That means no condos, no townhouses, no apartments, even if you own them!) These policies will normally encompass your entire home, exterior structure and interior property. They will financially protect you should anything happen to your house.

Dwelling Fire Insurance Dwelling fire insurance is reserved for landlords of homes that are NOT owner occupied. These policies are for landlords to ensure that their property will be covered in case of damage to the exterior of the structure.

Renters Insurance Renters’ insurance is basically the opposite of dwelling fire insurance — for the tenant of a rented home. Although as a tenant, you may not be too concerned with the exterior of the house since you don’t own it, it still houses your property. Renters insurance is for you to financially protect your assets housed within a rented home.

Condo/Townhouse Insurance Condo/townhouse insurance is similar to renters’ insurance in the sense that it is protecting your belongings inside your house. Although you may be somewhat covered by your homeowner’s association (HOA), their coverage typically won’t help you if something happens to your stuff that is inside your house. Essentially, condo/townhouse insurance will cover you where your HOA coverage doesn’t.

More Coverage More coverage is available for different circumstances, for example, if you are a collector of antique arts, consider buying extra coverage to protect these rarities. If you are concerned about any of the items in your house being more valuable and thus needing more coverage, consider having a Scheduled Personal Property (SPP) endorsement to your policy to make sure they’re insured properly. If not, you may run the risk of losing your vintage items or collectibles in a natural disaster, theft, or other emergency and being financially unable to replace it.

We understand that homeowners’ insurance is extremely confusing. That’s why we have specially trained professionals to help you with any questions you might have. If you still have questions about home insurance following this blog post, please feel free to give us a call.



How to lower insurance premiums for your teen

It’s no wonder that teenage drivers are fated with the highest insurance premiums, ironically when they’re probably least financially able to pay for it. Here are some facts about young drivers that justify why teen insurance premiums are so high:

  • In 2010, 33% of deaths among 13-19 year olds were due to motor vehicle crashes. Not drugs, not suicide, but car accidents. That’s an insanely high percentage.
  • 16 year olds have a higher crash rate than any other age group.
  • 1 in 5 16 year old drivers, or 20%, are involved in an accident within their first year of driving.
  • 56% of teens said that they talk on the phone while driving.
(from https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-teen-driving)

Insurance premiums for kids have skyrocketed as a result, after statistics proved that teens were the most at-risk group of drivers of any other age. Parents, in turn, have been less willing to insure their kids. Insurance for any driver, but especially teens (look at those stats), is a must if they’ll be driving. Here are some ways you can cut insurance for your teen.

Encourage them to be good students. Many insurance providers have a “Good Student Discount,” which gives teens a considerable discount on their auto insurance premiums for maintaining above a B average (3.0 GPA.) Studies have shown a direct correlation between good students and responsible driving habits, which have encouraged insurance companies to have these types of discounts.

Also encourage them to practice safe driving. After three years with one minor ticket (no speeding over 100, racing, hit & run, etc) OR one minor at-fault incident (no claims filed), your child could qualify for a Good Driver Discount, which saves another good chunk of money. Although this won’t apply for the first three years of driving, discuss this with your teen to avoid ticket fines, car accident deductibles, and earn a discount afterwards. DUI’s and DWI’s stay on your record for ten years (and teens could face even worse charges for being underage drinkers,) so encourage them to follow the law.

Have them drive a safe car. Driving a safe car will not only give you a peace of mind that they’ll be physically protected if involved in a car accident, but also lessens their insurance premiums. If their car is equipped with safety devices such as airbags, anti-theft mechanisms, and anti-lock brakes, their premiums will be significantly lower than if they’re driving a car without these. Luxury cars and sports cars tend to have higher premiums, so think about another fortune you’ll be spending on insurance after already spending a fortune buying your teen a nice red Lamborghini convertible for his 16th birthday.

Raise your deductible to as much as you are financially able to sustain. Raising your deductible means that you’ll have to provide more cash upfront in case of an accident and exempts you from filing small claims, but if you’re able to, it would cut your premiums significantly. Furthermore, by paying these claims, your insurance company will never be notified of these minor claims that could later on disqualify you from a possible “claims free discount.”

Don’t get comprehensive/collision coverage for old cars. If your teen is going to be driving Grandpa’s old 1990 Toyota Camry that’s worth $500 and you’re not too worried about replacing it if it’s damaged in a car crash, forget comprehensive/collision coverage. You’d probably be paying more than it’s worth!

Shop around for different plans, policies, and coverages. All different auto insurance companies have different auto insurance policies, and it’s worth a shot looking around at different plans and seeing what they cover – your first priority should be safety! If you need help shopping around, be sure to give us a call and we’ll help you find the best coverage for your teen at the most reasonable price.