First Community Financial Group, Inc. Blog |
Whether you were caught speeding (or worse) or you simply want to be a better driver, there are a wide range of defensive driving and driver improvement courses available in Texas these days.
But which is right for you? Here are five tips to help you decide: 1. Check with your state or municipality. If you’re taking training to avoid a traffic infraction, not just any course will do. You’ll need to take an approved course – ask for a list before signing up. 2. Check with your insurer. The same goes if you’d like to potentially save on your car insurance. Your carrier may only offer a car insurance discount for completing certain courses. Also ask how much your discount will be — this will help when it comes time to choose a course. 3. Choose the type of course. There are online and classroom options, typically ranging from 4-12 hours depending on the course material. And there are advantages to each. Online courses offer convenience (and sometimes a lower cost), while in-person settings can provide more interaction. 4. Determine how much you want to spend. If you’re trying to avoid a ticket (and a potential increase in your insurance premiums), the cost might not be much of an issue. If you’re taking a course to receive an insurance discount, however, make sure the total discount you’ll receive is greater than the cost of the course. 5. Check out the reviews. Online review sites, such as Yelp, can show you what others thought of a course. Keep in mind, people who felt “forced” to take a course might have a biased opinion, especially compared to someone who took the course willingly. No matter why you’re considering a defensive driving course, we’re happy to help you weigh the pros and cons. The biggest pro being, once you complete your training, you’re likely to be a little more careful the next time you get behind the wheel. And, that always pays off!
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Although snow can make winter driving difficult, it's not the real threat. Icy roads are one of the top causes of car accidents in the United States, and cause hundreds of deaths each year. It's easy to lose control of your car when the roads are icy and is difficult to gain control again. There aren't any fool-proof ways to avoid black ice, but you can certainly protect yourself by understanding and knowing how to deal with this seasonal issue!
Here are some tips to help you regain control of your car if you're sliding on black ice:
Hopefully you now feel better prepared to brave the winter ahead! Please visit the link below from Foremost (Farmers) Insurance Group to get 5 tips on how to protect your car from hail.
Hail damage can be expensive to repair. So, when the weather report calls for a hailstorm, it's best that you take action. These strategies may not work 100% of the time, but your damages could be far more expensive if you don't try anything at all. That said, read on to learn how to help protect your car from hail damage. Then give one of our agents a call or contact us at the link above to ask for your free auto insurance quote! CLICK HERE : 5 Tips on How to Protect Your Car From Hail | Foremost Insurance Group Summer is ending and fall is beginning to come on quickly. Wouldn't it be nice to escape what's up next? You wouldn't be the only person who decides to do just that. In fact, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association estimates that there are over 2 million people spending the winter in RVs, which doesn't even include those who rent or own a second home. The people who escape the harsh winters of their primary location to live in a warmer climate are known as snowbirds. Snowbirds are typically retirees or business owners, and the snowbird season runs from October through April, but may vary from year to year. Are you a snowbird, or better yet, are you going to become one? Before you take flight towards a warmer climate and leisure lifestyle, check out the following 6 tips for your home and finances so you can fully enjoy your home away from home. Prepare your home for winter It is important for everyone to prepare their homes for the winter season to avoid expensive damage or homeowner's claims caused by cold weather and snowstorms. It is even more important to prepare your home for winter if it will be vacant during the coldest months of the year since you won't be there to notice any problems that may arise. Prior to closing up your home, inspect your roof for any damage that could result in leaking and clean gutters and downspouts. Insulate any water lines that run along exterior walls and open cabinet doors to allow heat from the room to get into concealed spaces, which can make pipes less likely to freeze. Also, drain and shut off outdoor water faucets. Trim trees Winter's high winds and snowstorms can cause a lot of damage from fallen tree limbs; therefore, make it a priority to remove dead trees or large overhanging tree limbs before you leave town. Ask someone to shovel snow Arrange to have a neighbor shovel snow from your driveway. This will help prevent snow that melts from leaking into the home and causing damage. It can also prevent your home from looking vacant and becoming a target of thieves. Secure your home Home security is a big issue if you're away from your house for months. Stop your newspaper delivery and forward your mail to your winter address or have it picked up on a regular basis. Also have someone check the house at least weekly to make sure any flyers or packages that are delivered while you're gone don't build up and make the house look unoccupied. Secure doors and windows with deadbolt locks, and install slide locks or other security locks on sliding glass doors or French doors. You can also install variable light timers, which turn lights on and off at different times to make it look like someone is home. Notify your bank Before you leave, provide the bank with your contact information as well as your temporary address. This will give the banks a heads up, so there are no issues regarding out-of-state debit and credit card charges. If your financial institution is not aware that you will be away for a long period of time, your account could be frozen temporarily as they may see out-of-state charges as suspicious activity or fraud. Sign up for online banking Online banking allows you to receive bills and make payments online. It gives you the peace of mind that your bills are being paid on time, without having to wait for statements to be mailed to your current location. Maintaining two homes can be a lot of work, so it's important to be prepared with a good and reliable insurance policy as seasons change and before you take flight towards a warmer climate. by The Foremost Creative Team Foremost® Insurance has policies for Homes, Mobile Homes, Travel Trailers, RV's, ATVs, Golf Carts, Snowmobiles, UTVs, and other off-road vehicles. If you're looking for A Better Insurance Experience®, you can get a quote with us today! High school is full of defining moments for Texas teens and two of the highlights for most are prom and graduation. However, this time of year often sees other, more tragic defining moments - serious car accidents involving teens who are distracted or even under the influence of alcohol or drugs. At First Community Financial Group, we want to help make this season one to celebrate for you and your teen. So, with the help of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, here are some tips that can keep your teen safe. First, encourage your teen to follow these general safe-driving rules: Absolutely no alcohol Always use seat belts No cell phone use (including texting) while driving Special circumstances Of course, special events such as prom and graduation often present special circumstances. There may be dinner with dates before the dance, and parties before or after either event. It’s a good idea to discuss your expectations well before each event, putting some guidelines into place before your teen heads out for the night. Here are some ideas: Make sure you know the itinerary of the evening, as well as who else will be with your teen. You should have contact information for everyone. Have a way to contact your teen at all times. You may want to require them to check in with you once or twice over the course of the evening. Set a curfew, whether they are coming back to your home or staying with a friend. If they are staying elsewhere, make sure the curfew will be enforced by a responsible adult. Discuss with your teen how to handle difficult situations, such as facing pressure to drink, or accepting a ride with someone who shouldn’t be driving. It’s a good idea to provide your child with money for a taxi just in case. Offer a “no-questions-asked” ride home, should they need one during the evening. If you’re worried about your teen driving, consider alternate transportation. A car service or limousine will provide a responsible, experienced adult driver. You also will be able to limit changes to the itinerary and contact the driver. Prom and graduation in Texas are special times in a teen’s life. And just a little common sense will go a long way toward making sure your young adult is around to enjoy the other milestones that are sure to come. In the last decade, the number of auto insurance claims that arise from distracted driving accidents has increased significantly. By definition, this is an accident caused by the fact that the involved driver wasn’t paying attention to the road.
While the use of mobile devices is a big contributor to the rise in distracted driving accidents, it is only one cause of the problem. Many other distractions exist in every car that could divert the driver’s attention from the road. It’s your responsibility to monitor your habits to make sure you are only focused on one thing—the road around you. Keep in mind these three common mistakes that can help you deduce if you are a distracted driver. You Don’t Remember Where You Have Just Driven Driving involves a lot of muscle memory, and when you drive the same routes regularly, then you are likely to form a habit of doing so. While your brain helps you remember what route to take, you might not actively register going through an intersection, stopping at a stop sign, or accelerating or decelerating to follow the speed limit. This could mean that you’re driving distractedly. You might simply be lost in thought, but it’s still a diversion from the road ahead of you. This distraction might occur in an instant, but in that brief time, you might have driven into a very dangerous situation. You Are Engaged in Conversation It’s perfectly fine to have conversations with others in the car. However, the road has to be your primary focus, and the conversation should be secondary. That’s why you should avoid having intense conversations, arguments or debates while in the car. Those things can wait until you get where you are going. Even though you can carry on a conversation while driving, a high level of intensity puts you at risk of getting into an accident. You Engage in Manual Activities While Driving There are a lot of other activities besides cell phone use that could lead to distracted driving. Some people apply makeup, eat or do other activities while driving. Keep in mind, even if you check your phone while stopped at a stoplight, this is still a distraction, despite that you aren’t moving. These actions can all lead to distractions, and if you have an accident then the fault could lie with you. Often, if at-fault accidents result in insurance claims, then it is your liability coverage that will compensate all third parties (i.e. other drivers) involved in the wreck. Still, this can cause your auto insurance rates to rise, and sometimes your insurer will even cancel your coverage because you’re too high of a risk to insure. Rather than putting yourself in a situation where you could engage in distracted driving, it’s better to do what you can to avoid the risk. Comprehensive vs. Collison Auto Insurance
Auto insurance is designed to provide you with financial assistance in the event of an accident, theft or other instance of vehicle damage. After all, you shouldn’t have to bear the costs of an accident entirely on your own. There are a few separate benefits that the average policy will utilize to cover vehicle damage. Two of these are collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. You have to understand that these are equally essential, but still unique and separate benefits. Here’s how they work. Collision Coverage Collision insurance is often the type of physical damage insurance that is most familiar to policyholders. It will help you cover costs to repair or replace your vehicle following a wreck. You can use this benefit when an accident is your fault, since under the circumstances you won’t be able to file against another at-fault party’s liability insurance. Typically, your collision coverage will pay for the cost of your repairs, minus the cost of a deductible. If the vehicle is totaled in the accident, then the policy will often pay the cash value of the car at the time of the loss, minus the deductible cost. This might not be the full cost necessary to buy a new car, but it will represent a settlement for the value of the vehicle lost. Factors like your chosen deductible, the value of your vehicle and your driving habits will influence the cost of your collision coverage and your overall premium. Plus, if you have a tarnished driving record, then you are likely to pay a higher premium overall because you have a higher likelihood (in the eyes of the insurer) of filing a damage claim. Comprehensive Coverage Aside from collision coverage, comprehensive coverage is a separate physical damage benefit that is designed to cover vehicle damage from hazards other than collisions. Unlike its name might suggest, it does not include collision coverage as part of its benefit. You must purchase these two benefits separately in order to get full coverage. There are many cases in which comprehensive coverage can pay for vehicle damage. For example, if a tree falls on your car during a storm, then this is the benefit that will pay for the repairs. If your car were to catch on fire (even while you are driving it), then this is another circumstance in which your plan will cover you. Considerations Physical damage insurance is not a benefit that any driver should be without, and it’s easy to see just how much assistance this plan can provide you in the event of vehicle damage. This coverage is so essential that many vehicle lenders will require drivers to purchase this coverage if they finance their car purchases. By having this coverage, you can better guarantee that you won’t default on your loan payments just because of damage to or loss of your vehicle. Contact one of our agents today to get a free quote for your auto, ATV, boat or RV! When you drive recklessly, it impacts more people on the road than just yourself. In fact, other drivers, their passengers, your passengers and even pedestrians on the road can be affected by the decisions you make behind the wheel. Therefore, you have to treat driving as the potentially dangerous activity that it is.
Your ability to drive safely directly relates to your insurance rates and the continued validity of your driver’s license. The better you avoid hazards, the better you can avoid higher insurance rates and other driving penalties. To prevent a license suspension or auto insurance rate increases, practice the following 10 safe driving tips:
If you need a little assistance getting through a rough patch with your auto insurance rates, contact us for more information. |
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