Keep Your Home & Valuables Safe While Traveling This Summer!

As the summer sails by, your plans may include travel to escape the heat (or soak in the sun). Sunshine, mountain vistas or ocean waves may help you relax and recharge. Before you pack your bags for summer trips you should evaluate your insurance risks and needs. These tips from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) can help make sure you are protected while you enjoy your summer fun.

Traveling

Whether you're leaving home for a weekend getaway or an extended vacation, be aware of what your homeowners or renters policy will cover. Typically, your homeowners insurance will follow you, protecting you even while you're not at home. Off-premises coverage means your belongings are insured anywhere in the world. If you're staying at a hotel and belongings are stolen, your homeowners policy will provide protection, but the exact coverage depends on your policy. In addition to your deductible, expensive items such as jewelry will typically have a replacement limit. Contact your agent to find out what's insured under your policy.

Discourage Break-Ins

Making your home a less enticing target can discourage break-ins and may even lower your insurance premium.

Install deadbolts on doors and/or windows. These can slow a burglar, and in some cases lead to an insurance discount.
Invest in an alarm system or motion-activated camera. An alarm will often discourage a burglar. Some alarm systems may result in an insurance discount.

Keep your home looking "lived in."

Put interior lights on a timer or choose a few rooms to remain lit to give the impression someone is home.
Stop mail delivery or have a neighbor collect your mail, newspapers and packages so they don't stack up outside.
Hire someone to cut the grass if you'll be gone long enough that growth will be noticeable.
Leave a radio on and turn down your doorbell volume, if possible. Some thieves ring the doorbell or knock to determine if anyone is home. Having a loud radio playing and the doorbell muted plants doubt in an intruder's mind.
Have a car parked in your driveway. Another way to make a home look lived in is to have cars coming and going from the driveway throughout the day.

Protecting your home's contents is also important. Give a spare key to a neighbor or friend to have access to the home. Avoid the cliché of putting the key under the mat, as thieves often check there. Store important documents and expensive items in a lockbox, a safe, or at another location. Don't keep valuable documents in a personal desk or office where burglars will know to look for them. Stow your computer out of sight to discourage an intruder from trying to hack into your personal accounts.

Wait to Share on Social Media

Don't announce your trip in advance except to trusted friends. Talking about an upcoming trip in public settings or posting trip photos on social media while you are away lets potential burglars know your home is empty. Wait until you are home to share the trip highlights on social media.

Do you have questions on what your home or renters policy covers? Contact your local IMT Agent today to find out!

Is Your Heating System & Fireplace Ready For Winter?

When it’s cold outside, you need to keep your home warm and toasty, but you also want to keep it safe. Heaters, fireplaces, and other methods of warmth can also create fire hazards. While fireplaces may be designed to contain fire, they still require caution and regular maintenance to effectively manage flames, embers and smoke.

Here are some tips to make sure you are keeping your home safe this winter:

Test your smoke alarms on a consistent basis and keep fire extinguishers handy.
Sweep dust bunnies regularly.
Place your heater a minimum of three feet from all flammable items.
Make sure candles are kept away from flammable objects.
Use the 1:1 rule — only plug one heating appliance into an electrical outlet at a time.
Unplug appliances and completely put out fires in the fireplace before you leave the room or your home.
Have fuel tanks filled and maintained throughout the season.
Use a fireplace screen to prevent hot embers from flying out and catching your possessions on fire.
Service wood-burning or pellet stoves according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Winter Weather Maintenance Practices for Your Home

Along with fire prevention, homeowners should perform winter maintenance to keep temperatures inside the house warm when it is cold outside.

Do not set the heater lower than 55 degrees, as the temperature inside the walls where water piping is located is colder than in living spaces. Also, keep doors open within the house to maintain an even temperature throughout.
Prevent drafts and heat loss by adding weather stripping around doors and caulking windows. Install storm windows, if appropriate.
Check for water leaks and make repairs, if needed. If a water pipe is exposed in an unheated area, such as a garage or crawl space, wrap the pipe in UL-listed heat tape; use only thermostatically controlled heat tape on plastic piping.
Learn where water pipes are located and know how to shut off the water supply in the event of an emergency to prevent damage.
Clean out your dryer lint trap or lint screen after EVERY use. It takes only a couple of seconds and can help stop a potential fire before it ever becomes a significant risk factor. Debris that builds up in the lint trap can catch fire when exposed to the appliance’s heat settings.

Winter is prime time for house fires, with more deaths occurring in December through March than any other time of the year. Develop an exit strategy with your household and run practice drills with your family to help avoid preventable tragedy.

Related: Creating a Fire Escape Plan

With knowledge of the most common fire risks, our tips for fire prevention and a strong emergency response plan in place, you and your loved ones will be well equipped to protect yourselves and your home.

6 Tips To Protect Your Vehicle From Potholes This Winter

Freezing rain and fluctuating winter temperatures can leave roadways littered with potholes, causing vehicle damage and costly repairs for motorists! Potholes tend to form when moisture collects in small holes and cracks in the road surface. As temperatures rise and fall, the underground moisture expands and contracts. This results in broken up pavement, which is then continually impacted by the weight of passing cars.

Blown tires, dented rims, damaged wheels, dislodged wheel weights, displaced struts, dislocated shock absorbers and damaged exhaust systems are all costly common automotive issues. Other signs include misaligned steering systems and ruptured ball joints.

How Can You Protect Your Vehicle From Winter's Potholes?

AAA suggests making sure tires have enough tread and are properly inflated. To check the treat depth, insert a quarter into the treat groove with Washington's head down. The tread should cover part of Washington's head! If it doesn't, it's time to start looking for new tires!
Keep an eye out for potholes when driving — stay focused on the road ahead and don't get distracted! If you need to swerve to avoid a pothole, make sure to check surrounding traffic to avoid causing a collision or endanger nearby pedestrians or cyclists.
If a pothole cannot be avoided, reduce speed and check the rearview mirror before any abrupt breaking. Hitting a pothole at higher speeds increases the likelihood of damage to tires, wheels, and suspension components.
A puddle of water can disguise a deep pothole. User care when driving through puddles and treat them as though they may be hiding potholes!
Hitting a pothole can knock a vehicle's wheels out of alignment and affect the steering. If a vehicle pulls to the left or right, have the wheel alignment checked by a qualified technician.
Any new or unusual noises or vibrations that appear after hitting a pothole should be inspected immediately by a certified technician. A hard pothole impact can dislodge wheel weights, damage a tire or wheel, and bend or even break break suspension components.

Follow the steps above to help avoid and prevent potholes and keep your vehicle safe this year!