Should You Buy the Insurance for Your Rental Car?

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Krissyar

Another call I get a lot from clients, is when they are getting ready to go on vacation and they are renting a car; they always ask me “Am I covered?” as they are standing in the rental car agency about to sign the paperwork.

A good idea is a review your personal car insurance policy prior to renting a car. In some cases, the coverage you have on your car extends over to a rental. So a majority of the time the insurance that you would buy from the rental car company would be duplicate – a coverage you already pay for.

However, sometimes the rental companies coverage is a good idea to purchase – so its good to know what is covered, and what the rental company is offering.

This post is sponsored by Zeigler Ford of North Riverside.

UNDERSTAND YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE

Your personal auto insurance policy includes liability coverage and any additional coverages you’ve opted for, such as comprehensive or collision. Those coverages may extend to your rental car.

  • Liability coverage pays for medical bills or damage to another person’s property if you cause an accident in your vehicle (or your rental vehicle).
  • Comprehensive coverage pays to repair your vehicle (or your rental car) if it’s damaged by a covered peril, such as theft, wind, fire or natural disasters. Your comprehensive coverage’s deductible will apply.
  • Collision coverage pays to repair your vehicle (or your rental car) if it’s damaged when you collide with another vehicle or object, such as a fence or a tree. Your collision coverage’s deductible will apply.

In addition to your auto insurance, some credit cards offer extra insurance if you pay for a car rental using that card – and some dealerships offer a ‘free’ rental if your car is in the shop due to repairs (especially if it’s under warranty) it’s always good to check.

If you want to check about extra rental car insurance through your credit card, call the 800 number and explain your situation so they can give you the details and what is covered. Most credit card ‘insurance’ is secondary, to your primary insurance company. I also suggest getting it in writing.

UNDERSTANDING THE RENTAL CAR INSURANCE OPTIONS

Rental car agencies typically break out their extra insurance offerings such as;

Liability coverage is the same as you have have on your auto policy.

Collision/loss damage waiver  isn’t technically insurance. If you damage the rental car, this waiver may help cover the cost of repairing it. The waiver typically excludes coverage for damage caused by speeding or driving on unpaved roads.

The biggest issue with NOT purchasing the rental agency insurance is ‘loss of use’. This is loss of rental income for the car that they would normally have rented out, while it’s been repaired in a shop due to the accident that you had. Your auto policy will NOT reimburse for this – so this would be something that you’d be responsible for. Which, in summer when most cars/vans are booked well in advance, can get costly. Be sure to read the rental agreement to clarify what kinds of charges you could incur, and if there is a max.

Personal effects coverage may help cover your personal belongings, such as your laptop or clothing, if they’re stolen from the rental car. If you have renters or homeowners insurance, the personal property coverage on that policy typically helps cover your personal items through what’s known as “off-premises coverage.” Off-premises items are usually only covered up to a certain percentage of your personal property coverage. The deductible on your homeowners or renters insurance will apply. Check with your agent about the limits of your coverage.

Personal accident insurance may help pay your and your passengers’ medical bills if you’re injured in a rental car accident. The III says if you have health insurance, medical payments coverage or personal injury protection on your car insurance policy, you may already have coverage comparable to what the rental company offers. Medical payments coverage and personal injury protection (not available in all states) may help pay for medical bills due to a covered car accident.

If you’re not sure whether buying rental car insurance makes sense for you, it can help to weigh your options prior to picking up your rental.

Posted in Car Love | Leave a comment

What to Do After a Car Accident

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Krissyar

Working in insurance I get a lot of calls from frantic people after an accident. Most of the time are questions like “should I call the police?” , “Should I move my car?” and “When should I make a claim?”

Here are a few things on what to do after a car accident.

Step 1: Check for injuries. Be sure to check yourself, and passengers.
Step 2: Get to safety.
Step 3: Call 911.
Step 4: Wait for help.
Step 5: Exchange information.
Step 6: Document the accident.
Step 7: Notify your insurer.

This post is sponsored by DCH Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT of Temecula

STEP 1: CHECK YOURSELF AND PASSENGERS FOR INJURIES.

If you’re injured, call 911 or make sure someone does – if anyone is injured try not to move, and wait for the paramedics to arrive.

STEP 2: GET TO SAFETY.

If your car is a hazard, and is safe to drive, pull over to the side of the road. If not, leave it where it is and make sure to get to safety.

STEP 3: CALL 911.

Whether an accident is considered a minor fender-bender or a major collision, calling the police is important — and in some states, it’s legally required. The responding officers will fill out an accident report and document the scene. If the police can’t come to the scene of the accident, you can go to the nearest police station and complete a report yourself.

STEP 4: WAIT FOR HELP.

Turn off your engine, turn on your hazard lights and use road flares to warn other vehicles to slow down.

STEP 5: EXCHANGE INFORMATION.

After making sure you and any passengers are uninjured, exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver.  Here’s some of the info you need to get:

  • Full name and contact information
  • Insurance company and policy number
  • Driver’s license and license plate number
  • Type, color and model of vehicle
  • Location of accident

IF possible, take a photo of the drivers license and insurance card (trust me, this can come in handy when a claim is submitted).

STEP 6: DOCUMENT THE ACCIDENT.

In order to help protect yourself

  • Identify the officers.
    Once the police arrive, get the name and badge number of all responding officers.
  • Get a copy.
    Ask the police officers present where you can obtain a copy of the accident report.
  • Take pictures.
    Document the accident thoroughly by taking pictures of your vehicle from different angles, showing the damage done to both cars. It might also be a good idea to take pictures of the other car’s license plate.
  • Take down names.
    Write down the names and addresses of all parties involved, including any passengers in the other vehicle.
  • Talk to witnesses.
    If there were any witnesses to the accident, take down their names and their contact information, as well.

STEP 7: CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE AGENT

I normally suggest that you contact your agent after you are home and safe – you will need a good 20-30 minutes to turn in a claim, giving your claims adjuster or agent all the details that you collected at the scene.

An accident can leave you unsure and frazzled, so by following the above steps, it can help eliminate extra work, and unnecessary worries. It also helps your insurance company process the claim quicker and more efficient.

 

Posted in Car Love | Leave a comment

How Can an ESA Make You Feel Better?

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Krissyar

They’re the latest buzzword in mental health—making headlines for both good and bad reasons. Despite what you may have heard, emotional support animals, or ESAs, are a legitimate therapy aid for those struggling with mental health problems. Therapists have begun to sit up and take notice of the hugely positive effects that animals can have on us. Many researchers are now focusing on studying these effects and the incredible benefits that we can experience with a pet by our side.

Have you ever noticed how your day brightens up when you spend time hanging out with animals? Whether it’s your best friend’s Frenchie, or your very own Maine Coone Kitty, it’s pretty obvious to most of us that time spent with animals has a positive impact on our well-being. This is exactly the principle that health professionals and researchers are now exploring, and building upon in order to help patients improve their mental health.

So what exactly is it about animals that gives them such a strong power over our mental state? In this article, we explain some of the key reasons behind why emotional support animals can make you feel so much better.


The Impact of Animals: How They Affect Our Brains
Let’s take a deeper look into what happens when we interact with animals. Our brains are full of millions of chemicals that shape our thoughts, emotions and the way that we experience our life. When we experience mental health problems these chemicals can get all out of kilter, which, along with other factors, can cause the symptoms that we feel. Interacting with animals can help to heighten certain chemicals in the brain, which can help to alleviate these symptoms. Animals have powerful effects on us because of the particular chemicals that they help to elevate.

They Stimulate Our Brains to Produce The ‘Love’ Chemical
Researchers have been exploring the idea that a particular chemical released in the brain is responsible for the intense human animal-bond that can develop between owners and their pets. When interacting with animals, our brain releases oxytocin, which is also known as the ‘love’ or bonding chemical. This cause us to feel connected and secure, an important effect for those struggling with mental illness, which is often accompanied by feelings of isolation and loneliness.

They Help to Lower Our Level of Stress Hormones
Another amazing chemical effect that animals have on our brains is their ability to reduce the level of stress hormones, in particular, cortisol. If you have a pet, you’ve probably experienced this yourself, feeling the day’s stress melt away when you get home to some affection from them. Cortisol can be damaging to our mental and physical health, so this is an important therapeutic function of therapy animals in both physical and mental health care.

How ESAs Positively Impact Our Mental Health
So, we now know how ESAs can help us to feel better from a purely chemical standpoint, but what about the psychological impact of having an animal by your side? There are huge range of ways that animals can help us to feel better, some of which you may not even realize are happening. But that is the beauty of ESAs—they are a form of therapy that does not even feel like therapy. This integration is extremely helpful in beginning to help to heal mental health patients. Here are some ways in which pets can help with mental illness from a psychological standpoint.

They Provide a Point of Focus and Distract Us from Our Symptoms
Pets and ESAs are a wonderful diversion from our problems. Pets require us to focus on something other than ourselves which can help to stop panic attacks and interrupt cycles of depressive thinking, or even suicidal thoughts. Having an ESA forces an owner to take on tasks outside the scope of themselves, which can be motivating and beneficial for mental health. Having an ESA dog or cat can be beneficial!

They Encourage Us to Stick to a Routine
Speaking of the tasks that ESAs encourage us to get on with, these can also help owners to stay in a healthy routine. The feeding, exercise and grooming needs of pets can help to encourage us to keep a daily schedule that we wouldn’t otherwise, which helps to care for our mental health.

They Help to Foster Emotional Intelligence…and Even Encourage Mindfulness
Pets can teach us a lot about emotions. Your emotional support animal is not dwelling on what it did last week, or even what it will do in the next hour! Pets are masters of mindfulness and can set a great example for people with mental illness that struggle to embrace the present. Through their intervention, pets can help you to recognize your own emotions, and even help you to experience them and move on quickly. Think about it—have you every been around a pet in a bout of tears? Chances are, that while you were crying your pet came and snuggled up to you, alerting you to the fact you were crying, keeping you company during your tears, but ultimately reminding you that there is an important presence there waiting for your undivided attention when you’re ready.

Emotional support animals can help to heal us and make us feel better in so many ways. Whether it’s improving the chemistry of our brains, or giving us the psychological support that we need, ESAs are the perfect natural therapy to help deal with and overcome mental health issues.

Posted in Fitness/Health | Leave a comment

Tips for Maintaining Good Credit in 2019

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Krissyar

The importance of a credit rating isn’t something that is taught in schools. It’s something that you’re usually either taught by the people around you or by bad experiences. If you’ve managed to get yourself out of a financial ditch, then you may be doing everything within your power to make sure that you don’t go back there. While some may find it easy to keep their credit score in the good books, others may still struggle. In case you need a few tips for maintaining good credit in the upcoming year, you’ll find some that you can put into motion below.

Update Your Budget

To begin with, if you want to maintain good credit in 2019, you should update your budget. If you had one in the past year, then you can probably attest to what a saving grace it was when it came to improving your finances. Budgets are important because they help you stay focused and avoid spending money that you don’t actually have. As you know, that could land you right back in debt and that’s probably the last thing that you want.

Perhaps start by reviewing your expenses for the past year and identifying any areas that could use improvement. If your income has changed, don’t forget to update that in the expenses part of your budget. You can then adjust your outgoings and cut down if necessary.

Set New Goals

Usually, goals are a great way to keep yourself on track financially. Set new goals that get you excited about resisting impulse buys and cutting back. To set financial goals, remember to separate them into both short and long-term goals. Ponder on what kind of things could enhance your life and create memorable experiences for you. It may be to travel the world in a year, buy a new car, or save towards starting a business. Don’t limit yourself and know that with careful planning, you can achieve any of your goals. However, before setting any goals, make sure you have at least six months of your salary set aside in case of an emergency.

Improve Your Income

Once you’ve laid the foundation and have developed the right skills needed to maintain healthy finances, you should think about increasing your income. Doing this after stabilizing your finances can sometimes be a better option as if you increase your income but still have poor money management, you’re likely to go around in circles.

Having said that, think about how you can generate another stream of income and be open to trying different approaches. One could be freelancing in your area of expertise or starting an easy-to-manage e-commerce business alternatively. You can then use the extra income you generate to help achieve your goals.

Continue Borrowing Responsibly

Borrowing responsibly is one important way to keep your finances in order. For this reason, you’ve got to make sure you continue this habit in 2019 to keep your credit score high. As a reminder, to borrow responsibly, make sure you pay back on time and pay back more than the monthly amount agreed where possible. Also, only borrow if you’re sure that paying back won’t be an issue.

An added benefit of borrowing responsibly is that you’re likely to get better interest on any loans you might take out. If you look at, https://www.crediful.com/best-personal-loans-for-good-credit/ you’ll find a number of personal loans that are suitable for people who happen to have good credit.

Avoid Unnecessary Expenses

One of the easiest ways to ruin your credit is to accrue unnecessary expenses. Remember to stay within budget and focus on only buying things that you need. The good thing about budgets is that you can create a bucket for miscellaneous or random expenses so that it doesn’t feel like you’re in financial bondage.

However, as a rule of thumb, remember to give yourself a day before making any major purchases so you have time to think about whether you actually need it. You may also be able to find it somewhere else for cheaper if you take the time out to look.

Increase Your Credit Limit

In addition to the mentioned, increasing your credit limit could also improve your credit score. If you happen to have a credit or store card, increase your amount where possible, but avoid maxing out your cards. The point of increasing your limit isn’t to spend more but to instead use that increase to improve your credit score. Paying back twice what you’ve spent twice a month may also help as well.

 

 

 

Posted in Money Matters | Leave a comment

The Hottest New Video Game for Nintendo Switch: Starlink Battle for Atlas

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Krissyar

 

My son was more than psyched when he got his Nintendo Switch – so many awesome games to play, and I have to admit it brought me back to my childhood (though the Original Nintendo can’t even compete) , we started looking for some cool games we could play together and when Best Buy offered to send me Starlink: Battle for Atlas to review I was super stoked!

So Starlink is a space saga (which who doesn’t love things set in space?) and it allows players to assemble and customize real world starships, using real world pieces , linking starships to their game controllers and launching them into an EPIC ADVENTURE across the Atlas star system. What is great is that you can do single or two player, which gives you a split-screen.

Traveling a full star solar system the players can explore with total freedom. It’s an awesome game that allows travel through this exotic alien world of the Atlas Star System, as you face a lot of unique challenges across the 7 different planets.

Each players actions and choices impact their journey – and no experience will be alike! Enemies react and fight back intelligently, and will take the star system if the player doesn’t do anything to stop them, which means, the fate of Atlas will rest in the players hands!

All versions of the Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack include the game, the Starlink controller mount and a poster. Additionally, on PlayStation® 4 system and Xbox One the Starter Pack includes:

  • Zenith Starship – includes modular hull and two Armor wings
  • Mason Rana Pilot
  • Shredder Weapon
  • Flamethrower Weapon
  • Frost Barrage Weapon

The Nintendo Switch Starter Pack includes:

  • Arwing Starship – includes modular hull and two Arwing wings, with laser cannon weapons and charge shot built in
  • Fox McCloud Pilot
  • Mason Rana Pilot
  • Flamethrower Weapon
  • Frost Barrage Weapon
  • Digital versions of Zenith Starship and Shredder weapon
  • Exclusive Star Fox mission content

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is available on Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.

Posted in Techy | Leave a comment