“Car Talk” – Tom and Ray on Teen Driving

Your kids are back in school, everyone is rushing from one activity to the next, and your new teen driver is making choices – about pulling over to call or text, about blasting the radio, about following the Massachusetts laws prohibiting them from driving friends for the first six months with a junior license. You and your teen should both visit the “Car Talk” webpage on teen driving – there are lots of good tips and resources for both parents and teens. Tom and Ray tell you the best and worst cars for teen drivers, as well as the most important rules that teens need to follow to stay safe. Visit the site at http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/teendriving/.

Summer Fire Safety: Grills, Fire Pits, and Campfires

Picnics, camping and grilling out all add to the fun of summer. However, these activities may involve a risk of injury due to fire. Learn what fire safety tips you can follow to help everyone stay safe on the US Fire Administration’s summer fire safety webpage: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/focus/summer.shtm.

Items To Have On-Hand In Case Of Flood

This is National Flood Safety Awareness week. Here are 5 items you should have on-hand to keep you and your family safe and minimize damage to your property in the event of a flood.
1) Battery-operated radio
2) Battery-backup sump pump and check it regularly for proper operation
3) Bottled water
4) Non-perishable food
5) Several flashlights with extra batteries

Steps to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure

The Centers for Disease Control Recommends the following Steps to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure in Your Home:

• Do have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Do install a battery-operated CO detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. If the detector sounds leave your home immediately and call 911.
• Do seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseous.
• Don’t use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window.
• Don’t run a car or truck inside a garage attached to your house, even if you leave the door open.
• Don’t burn anything in a stove or fireplace that isn’t vented.
• Don’t heat your house with a gas oven.

Insurance Checklist for Homebuyers

1. Upon Signing the Purchase and Sale Agreement: Contact Baldwin/W&P for an insurance quote. Be ready with:  your new home’s address, square footage, year built, and years of updates to wiring, plumbing, heating, and the roof.
2. Decide on Coverage: Your experienced agent will help you make decisions about your insurance needs (including special coverage for jewelry, earthquake, and flood), and provide you with a detailed proposal.
3. Closing: Provide your agent with the mortgage bank’s closing attorney or mortgage broker’s contact information. Your agent will prepare the insurance documentation and provide it to the bank’s attorney for review prior to closing.
4. Cancel Previous Insurance: If your former home is not yet sold at the time of relocation, discuss with your prior insurer how vacancy may affect your coverage.
5. Moving: Check with your mover to make sure that you have coverage for personal belongings in transit.

Baldwin/Welsh & Parker Insurance Agencies Recognized with Best Practices Award

For 10th Consecutive year, Baldwin Insurance Agency and Welsh & Parker Insurance Agency in Bedford, Hudson, Topsfield, Wayland, and Winthrop Massachusetts are named Best Practices Insurance Agencies

Award Recognizes the Top U.S. Insurance Agencies

Baldwin Insurance Agency in Bedford, Topsfield, and Wayland, Massachusetts and its sister agency Welsh & Parker Insurance with offices in Hudson and Winthrop recently received the “Best Practices Agency” award from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) for the 10th consecutive year. This award recognizes the leading insurance agencies in the United States.

The Best Practices Study is sponsored by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) and is conducted by Reagan Consulting, Atlanta, GA. Each year since 1993, the Best Practices Study has examined the leading independent insurance agencies in the country to provide the agency community with a set of financial and operational benchmarks and a look at progressive business practices. The top 30 agencies in each of the study’s revenue-size categories are included in the study and earn the status of “Best Practices Agency.” Just 224 agencies in the country merit this distinction from more than 1200 nominations out of 26,000+ member agencies. Only nine are in Massachusetts.

The Best Practices award is based on outstanding customer service, growth, stability, and financial management. The agency credits receiving the “Best Practices” award to the thoroughness, responsiveness, and personalized attention it offers to its clients.

“It’s truly an honor to have our hard work recognized nationally,” Dave D’Orlando, Baldwin/Welsh & Parker’s president explains. “No matter what type of insurance our clients need, it’s our job to make it easy for them. Insurance—home, auto, or business—can be very complicated. Many larger insurance companies advertise their call centers and websites on television. Through our years of experience, we have consistently proven that there is no substitute for a professional agent guiding you in determining the best insurance solution for your needs.”

After the Best Practices Agencies are chosen, data from the selected agencies is consolidated into an IIABA Best Practices study and shared with the rest of the industry. The Best Practices study reveals the “secrets” of the most successful agencies and provides the industry with important financial and operational benchmarks.

Founded in 1896, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance–property, casualty, life and health–as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products.

Identity Fraud Cases on the Rise

Burglary, stolen wallets and pilfered identifications continue to top the list of the most common known causes of identity fraud, according to a comprehensive study of 2009 claims data by Travelers Insurance Company.

This underscores how thieves still prefer more low-tech means of identity fraud over online-related thefts and data breaches that garner significant media attention.

“This study suggests once again that more traditional means of identity fraud are prevalent today and continue to pose significant risks to consumers,” said Joe Reynolds, Identity Fraud Product Manager for Travelers. “Knowing this, it is critical that consumers take steps to protect themselves and their property.”

Travelers identified the following as the top known causes of identity fraud for its customers:

• 76 percent – burglary and theft of wallet/purse/personal identification/computer
• 9 percent – online or data breach
• 9 percent – forgery
• 6 percent – change of address/postal fraud

The study also revealed what criminals do with the stolen information. According to the study, 74 percent of the time criminals use the stolen personal information  to open new credit card accounts or use the existing credit cards to make charges. Of that 74 percent, 26 percent of identity thieves access existing credit/debit cards, 21 percent open new cards and make charges in the victim’s name, and 18 percent access and withdraw funds from existing checking, savings and online retail accounts.

These findings come at a time when identity fraud continues to plague consumers nationally. A study by Javelin Strategy & Research showed that the number of identity fraud victims jumped by 12 percent to 11.1 million adults in 2009, the biggest increase since the survey began in 2003.

“Identity fraud is a crime that can happen to anyone, anywhere, and so it’s particularly important for people to exercise diligence in protecting their personal information,” noted Reynolds.

Reynolds recommends taking a proactive approach to protecting your identity, including guarding Social Security numbers and financial information, shredding documents such as receipts, credit/insurance applications, medical records and bank statements and considering identity fraud expense reimbursement coverage, which can help someone recover from identity fraud.

Insurance protection for identity fraud can provide customers with access to a consumer fraud specialist, who can guide victims through the process of restoring their identity. Coverage includes reimbursement for the costs associated with identity restoration as well as providing the services required to help victims restore an identity.

Identity Fraud Expense Reimbursement Coverage is generally available as an endorsement on a homeowners policy at a very low annual cost.

Water Damage Ten Times More Likely Than Fire

While fire may be a common worry among homeowners, claims data from Travelers Insurance Company suggests their homes could be as much as 10 times more likely to be damaged by water than by fire.

Fortunately, much of this water-related damage can be prevented, and taking a few simple home maintenance steps can help increase the chances of keeping a property safe.
Travelers recently analyzed its homeowners insurance claims in North Carolina, excluding claims related to catastrophes, and found that damage caused by water accounted for 28 percent of its property claims in the state, compared to three percent for fire. Furthermore, of those water damage claims, weather accounted for only five percent, meaning that proper maintenance within the home may help homeowners avoid some of these problems.

“When considering annual household cleaning projects, it’s a great time to inspect and perform maintenance on household systems and appliances,” said Ron Stephens, Regional Vice President for Travelers. “Checking washing machine hoses, ice maker connections and the plumbing around water heaters are a few simple actions you can take to prevent both damages and a lot of headaches.”

After examining the most common causes of water damage for Travelers customers in North Carolina, claim and risk management professionals from Travelers have developed a number of easy steps homeowners can take to help avoid many of these non-weather-related water problems. The following list provides preventive measures to help avoid the top four common causes of non-weather related water damage:

1. Leaks from washing machine hoses: Washing machine hoses should be inspected annually and replaced every five years – or immediately, if there are any signs of cracking or bulging.
2. Leaky plumbing around water heaters: Plumbing should be inspected annually and repaired if there are any signs of leaks or corrosion. When possible, water heaters should be installed in an area with floor drains to minimize damage if leaks should occur.
3. Leaks from refrigerator ice machines: Ice maker connections, usually located behind the refrigerator, should be inspected annually and hoses replaced if they appear cracked or corroded.
4. Clogged drain lines on air conditioning units: Air conditioning drain lines should be checked yearly.

Avoid Ice Dams, Roof Leaks, and Frozen Pipes This Winter

• Inspect your roof before the first snowfall, and replace all damaged shingles.
• Improve your attic’s insulation. Ice dams are caused by snow melting under a blanket of snow on a warm roof.
• Check and clean all gutters and downspouts; clogged gutters often lead to ice dams.
• Ensure that all gable, ridge and soffit vents are clear, and that attic insulation doesn’t cover soffit vents.
• Use a roof rake to clear excessive snow near the roof edge; be careful not to damage shingles.
• Insulate pipes located near outside walls and in crawl spaces. If a pipe has frozen before, it will freeze again!

Three of the Most Common Homeowner’s Insurance Claims, and How to Prevent Them

1. Ice Dams
Improve your attic’s insulation. Ice dams are caused by snow melting under a blanket of snow on a warm roof. Check and clean all gutters and downspouts to help avoid ice dams. Ensure that all gable, ridge and soffit vents are clear, and that attic insulation doesn’t cover soffit vents. Use a roof rake to clear excessive snow near the roof edge; be careful not to damage shingles.

2. Frozen Pipes
Insulate all pipes running along exterior walls or in crawl spaces and attics. If you lower your thermostat when leaving the house, make sure you maintain a temperature that will keep pipes from freezing.

3. Burst Washing Machine Hose Make sure your washing machine has a working shut-off valve, and use it each time you finish running the machine. Material should be heavy-duty reinforced hosing. Periodically inspect hoses for cracks.