Stay Safe on the Roads This Winter

During the winter months, driving conditions can become hazardous as the weather gets less predictable. In extreme conditions, it is better to stay off the roads altogether; however, this is not always possible. There are several essential steps you can take to reduce your risk. Know your vehicle You need to be aware of what conditions your car can safely handle. You may have anti-lock brakes, all-wheel drive and all-weather tires, but while all of these features are valuable, don't be fooled into thinking your vehicle is accident-proof in bad weather.   Becoming too confident in your vehicle's ability to respond…

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How to Prevent Frozen Pipes During the Winter

Every winter, about 250,000 households find themselves with messes from pipes that freeze and burst. In addition to erupting and filling a room with water, a burst pipe can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Carpeting, photos, furniture and other belongings can be permanently damaged to the point they need to be replaced. A crack measuring only 3 millimeters can spew as much as 250 gallons of water into a person's home in just one day. Fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to protect pipes and avoid the hassles associated with bursts: Bundle up the pipes. Use…

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Why Everyone Needs Life Insurance

People who are considering life insurance usually debate whether they need it or not. If anyone will suffer financially after a person's death, that person should have life insurance. This death benefit is meant to help surviving family members or dependents cope with the financial difficulties of losing the deceased's income and paying for final expenses. Life insurance isn't subject to federal income tax. In order to determine how much life coverage to buy, it's important to consider what surviving loved ones would need if death occurred suddenly.  Be sure to consider monthly living expenses, debts and final expenses when…

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Understanding the Term ‘Totaled Vehicle

You've had an accident and your vehicle is in bad shape. After you report your claim, the insurance company sends out an adjuster to determine if it is worth paying out for the required repairs or instead of paying you for the value of the vehicle at the time of the accident. If the cost of repairs exceeds the value, the insurer may tell you the car is "totaled," even if it doesn't look that way. Before an accident occurs, it is wise for you to learn how insurance companies determine the value of your vehicle, which will mean one…

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Losing Everything Due to Inadequate Auto Liability Coverage

All states set minimum coverage levels for drivers, but if you are involved in a serious accident, minimal coverage may not get you off the hook for the full extent of damages.  Your state's goal is to make the required insurance affordable, but in many cases the established minimum coverage is not adequate to cover the liability costs if you are found to be at fault in a costly accident. Even limits that are several tiers above the minimum may not be adequate for some drivers, because once those limits are exhausted, any remaining damages must be paid out of…

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New Fitness Guidelines for Children and Adults

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued new fitness guidelines that recommend adults get two and a half hours of moderate exercise every week, at a minimum. The slogan of the new guidelines is "move more, sit less," in an attempt to address the two main reasons many of us don't get enough exercise. This new guidance is the first update to the guidelines since 2008, when they were first released. Here are the report's main suggestions: Adults At least two and a half hours of "moderate-intensity aerobic" exercise a week. Exercise should be done in intervals…

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Health Insurance Rates Mostly Holding Steady

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, personal and family health insurance rates are staying stable going into 2021. In fact, it's the third year in a row of premiums barely moving in most areas, while the number of insurers writing policies in the personal market continues to grow. According to the ACAsignups.net website, which tracks enrollment, the average requested premium increase for 2021 is 2.1%, and in 18 states where regulators have approved rate hike requests, the average increase was just 0.4%. Under Affordable Care Act rules, insurers every summer must file proposed rates for the next year with the states they…

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Pandemic-related Charity Fraud Booms: FBI

Many Americans want to help during the COVID-19 pandemic by contributing to charities, but the FBI is warning that scammers also are angling to get at your money by posing as charities to help coronavirus victims. Nationwide, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have received reports of scammers fraudulently soliciting donations for individuals, groups and areas affected by COVID-19. They are leveraging the COVID-19 pandemic to steal your money, your personal information, or both. Don't let them. Charity scams often occur when a fraudster poses as a real charity or uses the name of a real charity to get…

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