How To Prep Your Home For Emergencies: 3 Essential Tips

How well prepared is your home for emergencies?

In order to keep your home in good standing in terms of your coverage from Guy Hurley McNeil, it’s essential to prepare for any emergency that could strike from a natural disaster or otherwise. Here are some tips to use when keeping your Rochester Hills, MI home safe.

1. Keep Your Electricity Up To Code

Is your electrical system up to code? Make sure that all of your outlets and wires are properly secured. For instance, none of your wall outlets should be loose, and you shouldn’t overload any of your outlets with too many appliances plugged into one.

Also, remember that extension cords are meant for temporary use only. Furthermore, you should refrain from running your wires under rugs or across the floor in any room.

If you are concerned about an electrical issue in your home, hire a licensed electrician who is authorized to work in Rochester Hills MI to fix it for you. Don’t attempt to fix or change your home’s electricity yourself.

2. Make Sure Your Foundation Is Secure

Is your home’s foundation secure? If you aren’t sure whether your home’s foundation can stand up to an earthquake or a tornado, you should hire a construction specialist to inspect it for you. Aside from that, do your best to keep your basement from flooding. If your home incurs structural damage over time due to a lack of maintenance and professional attention, it can be more vulnerable in the event of a natural disaster.

3. Maintain Your Home Regularly

When a house is maintained regularly, it is less prone to being damaged in a home emergency. For instance, make sure not to stockpile trash (such as unnecessary cardboard boxes) anywhere in your yard or storage space. ensure that your furnace and HVAC systems are clean and in good shape.

Keep all of your alarms (fire alarm and carbon monoxide alarm) in ship shape by testing them regularly and changing batteries as needed.

Do You Need Better Home Insurance Coverage?

If your home is well-maintained and kept in good structural form, it is less vulnerable to damage. However, emergencies can happen anytime. If you want to ensure that you’re fully reimbursed in case of a natural disaster or any other home emergency, talk to our friendly agents at Guy Hurley McNeil about your coverage. Let us help you find the kind of policy you feel safe at home with.

Auto Insurance Options for Regular Travelers

While Rochester Hills, MI is a great place to live, you may love traveling during the summer and winter months during vacations. We at Guy Hurley McNeil understand this impulse and have a few tips on what kind of auto insurance will work best for your needs and those of your vehicle as well. 

Frequent Travelers Need Robust Insurance 

When you plan on using your car for a lot of travel, you need to buy a car insurance policy that is as robust as possible. For example, you need high-quality liability coverage because your chances of being in an accident are higher the longer you are on the road in your car. 

Just as importantly, you need options like comprehensive coverage and collision coverage to protect you when your car is impacted by events such as vandalism, theft, natural disasters, and animal-related problems. Try to find a plan that is affordable but comprehensive to your travel and driving needs.

Best Travel Options to Consider 

If you plan on taking to the road regularly during the year, you may want to add traveler insurance options to your auto policy. These plans typically include a myriad of coverage options that are unique and which help protect you during trips. 

For example, you can consider trip cancellation and interruption coverage to protect you when you need to come out out of nowhere. You can also get baggage and personal item recovery insurance, emergency medical care, and medical evacuation coverage. 

Let Us Help You 

So if you live in Rochester Hills, MI and like traveling, please contact us at Guy Hurley McNeil to get the auto insurance that you need. Our experts will help you understand your options and guide you to the best plan that your money can buy. 

Auto Insurance Mistakes New Car Buyers Mistake

First-time car owners in Rochester Hills, MI need to buy an excellent insurance policy and avoid serious mistakes that can cost them too much money. So if you’re looking for an excellent plan for your vehicle, please contact us at Guy Hurley McNeil to ensure you don’t pay an excessive amount of money.

Buying the First Policy You Find 

Many new car owners buy the first policy that they are offered and don’t try to balance their coverage. This mistake is enormous because you can quickly end up buying one that doesn’t meet your needs. For example, you may purchase a comprehensive policy on a junker car and spend too much cash. Try to balance your needs with the quality of the vehicle to get the best results. 

Investing in Road Service Coverage 

When you’re buying a relatively new car, you may want to get road service coverage for your insurance policy. This problem is a mistake because you may get this type of coverage when you purchase your vehicle and may end up spending too much money. Talk to your dealer about the possible options here to learn more about what to expect and which options are right for you. 

Undervaluing Your Car 

Although your insurance company will value your car for you, you may not want to spend too much and try to go with the lowest possible policy. This option is understandable if your vehicle is quite old – as many first-time cars are for many drivers – but is less defensible if your car is newer. Don’t skimp out here or you might find your policy is less than perfect. 

Finding the Policy That You Need 

If you live in Rochester Hills, MI and you need a high-quality policy, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Guy Hurley McNeil to find significant policies. We can seek through your options and set you up with a first-time plan that meets your needs as much as possible. 

What will happen if I am caught driving without auto insurance?

For those that are in the Rochester Hills, MI area, having auto insurance is very important. Not only will it protect your car, but it will also give you liability protection if you are found to be at fault in an accident. Further, it is also required by law that you carry at least the minimum level of liability insurance. If you are caught driving without this type of insurance coverage a number of negative situations could arise. 

Lose Your License and Get Fined

If you are caught driving without auto insurance one penalty that you need to be aware of is the risk of losing your drivers license and being fined. Auto insurance laws are taking very seriously in the state and if you do not have it in place, your punishment could include not being able to drive for months at a time. 

No Coverage

Most importantly, if you don’t have auto insurance, you will still be liable for the damage that you caused. This means that you may need to come out of pocket in order to make restitution. If you are not able to do so immediately, you likely will have to enter into a court-ordered repayment plan until the debt is paid off. 

For those that are in the Rochester Hills, MI area, it is clearly very important that they have auto insurance in place at all times. When you are looking for your next auto insurance policy, you should speak with the team at Guy Hurley McNeil insurance agency. The Guy Hurley McNeil insurance agency can help you to better understand your auto insurance needs. This will help to make sure that you get into a policy that provides you with the right level of coverage. 

Ways to save money on homeowner’s insurance in Michigan

Many states provide incentives to homeowners through discounts in their insurance for improvements. In most situations, this includes upgrades to windows, roofing, or other structures around the home to make them more safe and durable by using new technology. After these changes are made, the homeowner in Rochester Hills, MI can contact an agent such as Guy Hurley McNeil and receive a credit on their insurance payments and the costs will go down. 

Alarm or security systems are one option that may lower insurance costs. Most policy providers look at the reduced risk of robbery or vandalism from surveillance and security systems as an important upgrade. This is because having to pay out for stolen valuables and property damage can be a huge expense for the insurance company. This can lower insurance costs by up to ten percent annually.  

Upgraded windows are another common source of savings. Many states have some risk of damage caused by wind, hail, or excessive amounts of rain and snow. When a window shatters and water damage occurs inside the house, the associated costs for repairs and replacements can be significant. Many modern stormproof windows are practically bulletproof, making them extremely unlikely to crack, which will create savings over the years. 

The roof is also another constant source of concern for homeowners. Shingles and tiles are subject to exposure to sunlight, rain, snow, and all kinds of weather throughout the year. A roof also needs to be repaired regularly to prevent leaking and other forms of damage inside the house. Roofing can be expensive, but a homeowner can definitely recoup some of the prices through discounts.

For more information about homeowner’s insurance, contact Guy Hurley McNeil. This agent serves Rochester Hills, MI and surrounding areas. 

What are the best ways to get discounts on auto insurance?

Rochester Hills, MI is one of many places where it feels as though it would be difficult to get by without driving. At Guy Hurley McNeil, we work hard to help people find the best auto insurance to fit their circumstances while keeping the premiums as low as possible.

There are ways that drivers can get discounts, and we also work to help find extra discounts. The last thing anyone wants is to pay more than is necessary for a needed policy.

Here are some of the best car insurance discounts:

  • Good Driver (or Safe Driver) is a discount you can qualify for if you have not been at fault in an accident in the past 3 to 5 years. A good driver discount will also require you to have a clean driving record, with no moving violations like speeding or running a stop sign.
  • Good Student discounts may be awarded to individuals up to the age of 25 who have at least a 3.0-grade point average in high school or college.
  • Low-Income Senior discounts will benefit people who have reached a certain age, such as 62, who can prove they don’t have a high income.
  • Customer Loyalty discounts are some of the most common. After you find an insurance company you are comfortable with, you can save money by renewing early, using the same company for multiple policies (like home and auto), or paying six months or a year at a time. You may even be able to get a discount for going paperless.

There may be other discounts you qualify for, as a driver in Rochester Hills, MI. If you would like to see if there are discounts you may qualify for, or if you just want to find a better price on your auto insurance, please call Guy Hurley McNeil today.

How to Save Money on Home Insurance

If you’re looking for home insurance in Michigan, there are a few ways you can easily save money on your premium. At Guy Hurley McNeil, we serve the Rochester, MI area and are available to help you find the right home insurance while saving you money. Read on to learn more.

Bundle Your Policies

Chances are you already have an insurance policy. Whether you have auto insurance, motorcycle insurance, or even life insurance, the trick is to bundle your policies together under one insurance company to save money on your premiums. Insurance companies love to reward loyal customers and this is just one way they go about it.

Compare Quotes

When it comes time to protect your home, a very important asset, you’ll want to choose the best policy by comparing at least two or three quotes from different insurance agencies. Not all quotes will carry the exact same coverage, deductibles, and premiums. That’s why it’s important to compare quotes to find the right coverage at the right price for your exact home insurance needs.

Work with a Reputable Agent

While the above tips seem straight forward, it is best to work with a reputable agent that will help you bundle and compare quotes to get the most out of your home insurance policy. A trusted, reputable agent will be able to help you with this step-by-step and answer any questions and concerns you may have along the way.

Are you ready to purchase home insurance in Rochester Hills, MI? If so, contact the team at Guy Hurley McNeil. They serve this area and are available now to help you purchase home insurance. Call today.

 

How Age Affects Your Auto Insurance

One of the biggest financial factors in driving is the cost of car insurance, which relies heavily on your age. Generally, younger drivers and seniors pay more for vehicle insurance. Costs typically decrease after your teens and early twenties, until you hit sixty when your rates rise again.  

Car insurance premiums are generally highest among drivers in the 16 to 24-year old range. According to recent research, the average car insurance costs are highest from 16 years of age to 21 years of age. At 25, vehicle insurance costs tend to decrease sharply and continue declining as you get older. After the age of 55, car insurance premiums slowly start creeping back up, especially between the ages of 60 and 65, typically returning to the rates 25-year-old drivers are charged. Guy Hurley McNeil explains why below. 

Why Teens and Seniors Pay More For Car Insurance

Car insurance in Rochester Hills, MI or metro Detroit is more expensive for teenagers and elderly drivers because statistics indicate that those demographics are more likely to get into car accidents than other age groups. In fact, according to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, drivers between the ages of 16 to 19 are three times as likely to be involved in a collision than those from 20 to 50, even though they only account for 7 percent of licensed drivers.  

When it comes to older drivers, the fact is that aging is often behind many accidents. Older drivers generally have slower reflexes and poorer eyesight, which can affect their driving ability. Insurers often charge senior drivers age 70 and above as much as they would charge a driver who is 25 as a result. Of course, your driving record and number of accidents you’ve been involved in will also impact your insurance rates. 

To find the best automobile coverage for your age group, contact the Rochester Hills, MI insurance experts at Guy Hurley McNeil today.

Ways to Protect Your Home This Winter

Winterizing your Home

Protecting your home from the winter weather can also help protect yourself from home insurance claims in Rochester Hills, MI.

  • Protect Pipes: Frozen pipes can lead to thousands of dollars in flood damage. An easy way to protect your home from water damages it to prevent pipes from freezing in the first place. Wrap any crawl space and basement pipes with insulation and be sure to cover any exposed pipes. Open cabinet doors to let warm air flow around them and let the faucet drip to keep water moving.
  • Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector: Furnaces and other heat sources can leak carbon monoxide and, if not properly ventilated, can be deadly. Protect your family by having a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of the home.
  • Clean Storm Drains and Gutters: Regular cleaning of any storm drains or gutters can help prevent ice buildup, cracking gutters, and any melting snow that leaks into the basement. If you are paying to get your gutters cleaned, contractors will also do a check up on the roof, which is also good.
  • Seal Air Leaks: Sealing air leaks will help keep the warm air in the home and save on energy costs.
  • Use Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding isn’t only good for winter months, but in the winter it can help combat the extremely cold temperatures and is five times thicker than vinyl siding. In the other seasons, it helps resist mold and moisture and is resistant to pets and fire damage.
  • Trim Branches: Trim branches away from the roof or hire a tree removal service to get rid of any branches that could be a threat to the home, driveway, and yard.

Ask an agent at Guy Hurley McNeil if you get any discounts from winterizing your home. Contact Guy Hurley McNeil, serving Rochester Hills, MI, to get a quote on home insurance. 

What’s Covered When I Drive With My Trailer?

Generally, most auto insurers acknowledge that people tow small trailers with their vehicles. For example, one of the images of traditional Americana is the camping trip via the camper trailer or the fishing trip with the boat trailer. And in that respect, especially if the vehicle is the type that can tow, the risk is carried in the general language of the auto policy provided.

There are a couple of requirements that need to be met by a Rochester Hills, MI car owner. First, the trailer used needs to be licensed and valid if used on public roads. This allows the insurer to see reference and see the trailer in the state DMV records to verify it’s load type. Second, the drivers needs to obey traffic laws involved. Traveling with a trailer often involves driving at slower speeds and staying in the right lane on a highway. DMV manuals in every state spell out these rules for drivers. Third, a car’s hitch and equipment need to be used properly. However, not every insurance policy or car is automatically covered. For example, a compact should not be saddled with a hitch and expected to carry & tow a full extra-length boat trailer. It’s simply silly and extremely dangerous. It’s also very likely to cause an accident as well.

If you want to begin using a trailer on a regular basis in Rochester Hills, MI or the surrounding area, do yourself a favor and give Guy Hurley McNeil’s office a call. Not only can the staff there confirm exactly how trailers are covered, but they can also show you policies available that will provide coverage if yours doesn’t or your current insurer doesn’t want to handle trailers at all. But don’t find out the hard way after an accident. Call Guy Hurley McNeil first and drive safe!