Newsletter - Century Property Management Services, LLC

Health Care Reform
With the Affordable Care Act, most people will be required to have health coverage after January 1, 2014. They’ll have a new way to buy health policies through insurance exchanges.  The employer mandate has been extended to 2014.
Employees will look to their employers for advice and assistance as they navigate the exchanges, so we’re providing you with information about their new options. Exchanges will provide individuals and small business owners with a place to find, compare, and purchase coverage, as well as get financial assistance to afford it.

Here are some questions you may have.
Will I have to give up my current coverage?
No. When your coverage is renewed, it might contain new benefits required under federal law, but if your plan was already in effect on March 23, 2010, you can keep your current coverage as long as it is offered by your employer.
What about pre-existing conditions?
You can no longer be refused coverage for pre-existing conditions. There may be more information coming and we will advise you.
Can I maintain my primary care provider?
Yes, as long as they are part of the plan you select.
My child previously aged out of dependent coverage, but is still under 26 years old. Can I put him back on my plan?
Yes, check with your plan to determine the specific process.
Does every employer need to provide coverage?
No, Beginning Jan. 1, 2015, the law requires only employers with 50 or more full time employees to offer “minimum essential coverage. For small employers please consultant with your CPA to see if you qualify for a tax rebate on premiums paid.
As we try to understand and navigate through all this information, it is important to use an independent agent. Here are the benefits of using our firm
·         We don’t charge fees or service changes
·         You will pay same as if going direct to carrier
·         We will compare many insurance options and bring you the best option to you

Self-storage or mini storage facilities are available in almost every community, and people are placing personal property in storage for many reasons. Some people store personal property during a move, to store an ATV, to store seasonal items, or simply need the extra storage space.  These facilities offer safe and clean storage for a reasonable cost.
To completely answer the question, “Is my personal property covered while in storage?” let’s look at the basic coverage found under a typical homeowner’s policy. Remember actual policy terms and coverage varies.
Homeowners or Renters Policies Typically Cover:
·         The dwelling- Pays to repair or rebuild your home, if you own it.
·         Personal property coverage- Reimburses you for the personal items in your home that may be damaged or destroyed by a covered cause of loss.  This could include your furniture, clothes, sporting goods and electronics.
·         Loss of use coverage- Pays your additional housing and living expenses if you must move out of your home temporarily while it's being restored.
·         Liability insurance- Covers you if you or your family members are responsible for causing injuries or damage to other people or their property.
So how is property you place into a storage facility covered? A standard homeowners or renters insurance policy provides you with protection for personal property you own anywhere in the world. Coverage would apply to personal property you own while in a storage facility. But there can be some limitations. Depending on your policy, your property in storage may have a limit of 10% of your total policy limit. For example, if you have a homeowners or renter policy with a limit of $500,000 on the property, you could have $50,000 of coverage in a rented storage facility. Here are some other limitations of which to be aware:
·         Vehicles
·         ATV’s
·         Fine art or collectibles
·         Motorcycles
·         Other items not covered under your home or renters policy
 
Finally, your property in storage may also have limitations regarding to the kind of loss covered. For example, flood, earthquake, or sewer back-up may not be covered. Call our office today for a complete review of your insurance program. 

There is no question that a healthy life style can reduce life insurance premiums and health care costs. Statistics show that the healthier you are the lower your medical costs and health insurance will be. Developing a healthy lifestyle can be accomplished by considering the following:
Eating out the right way Everyone likes to eat out. However, people who eat out more often tend to have increased risks for serious health issues over time. It is not eating out that causes these issues, but rather the types of foods consumed when eating out. So, here are a few simple tips on eating healthy while eating out:
·         Stay away from fast food.
·         Drink lots of water rather than ordering soda.
·         Ask if smaller portions are available or whether you can share entrees with a companion. If smaller portions aren’t available, ask for a to-go box when you order and place half the entrée in the box to eat later.
·         Order an appetizer-sized portion or a side dish instead of an entrée.
·         Ask for salad dressing to be served "on the side" so you can add only as much as you want.
·         Eat slowly. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach that you are no longer hungry
Get Regular Exercise One great way to stay healthy is to exercise daily. Take a walk, run, bike, or hike. The more fit you are, the lower your life insurance premiums will be.
Quit Smoking If you smoke, quit. Life insurance companies judge smoking as a critical risk factor in determining your premium.
Get Rest Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
Get your annual flu shot October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but you can still get vaccinated in December or later. Flu season can start as early as October and last as late as May.
Go Fishing Make fish a bigger part of your diet.
Eat a Banana People whose diets are rich in potassium may be less prone to high blood pressure.
Remember these are not in the healthy food group:  Whipped toppings, cookies, gravy, saturated fats, spreads of all kinds, and juice that is not made 100% from fruit.
If you want to lower your health insurance, general health care costs, and life insurance, consider making changes to your life style. We are confident that you will see reductions in insurance costs, be healthier, and live longer. 

Many travelers operate under the misconception that car rental rates are all about the same, and that shopping is a waste of time. But rates do vary, sometimes by quite a bit, between companies and destinations. Our agency has a few tips for you.

1.    Book on-line: The web often offers the best deals.

2.    Try renting mid-week, if your travel plans allow.

3.    Avoiding unnecessary insurance: Car rental companies try to sell insurance to accompany your rental, but many homeowners or home automobile insurance policies and some premium credit cards already cover car rental insurance so it always pays to check before accepting this option. Contact our agency to make sure you have the necessary insurance.

4.    Always buy your gas away from the airport; it can be as much as .25 per gallon less.

5.    Join reward programs: Many car rental agencies, hotels and airlines offer discounts if you are a member of a travel program.

6.    Look into renting the car for longer than you need, some agencies give you better daily rates for a week, and don’t charge you for early returns.

7.    Supply your own car seat if possible, they really upcharge you for this.

8.    Many rental car companies will try to up-sell you to a bigger vehicle or ask you add other features like GPS. Don’t do it. Remember your smart phone can be your GPS.

9.    Double check all fees.

10.  Make sure that you have towing coverage on the car you insure with us.

Before you drive away from the pickup station, inspect the car carefully for damage. Be sure the lights and turn signals are working properly, and check the mileage odometer. Report any defects at once. You can always contact us for a review of your coverage and how it might apply when you rent a car. 

If you are like many people, you have probably wondered how to best organize and store your life insurance records.  You should store all of your insurance policies, regardless of what type, in a fire-proof safe or safety deposit box.  You can always keep copies of the originals in your regular files at home, but it is a good idea to keep the originals in a fire-proof safe or safety deposit box because they will have a much higher level of protection.  It is critical (in case something happens to you) that the individuals who may ever need to access the policies, know about the policies, know where they are located, and are able to access them.

Life Insurance Policies Specifically

Many people have more than one life insurance policy, which can be because we have one or more through our employer, and/or because we have also obtained private policies or annuities.  To keep your life insurance records organized and easy to locate, it’s a good idea to put all of your policies in one “life insurance” file and store it in either a safety deposit box or fire-proof safe with your other policies.  You want to make sure that your life insurance records are safe and can be located easily because if something were to happen to you, the last thing you would want is for your beneficiaries to have difficulty locating such records while dealing with the stress of your passing. 

As mentioned earlier, you should keep original policies in a fire-proof safe of safety deposit box, and keep copies at home or the home of a trusted individual.  The reason for this is that you will have the originals well-protected, but will also now have copies of the policies in two different places.  The purpose of this is to enable your beneficiaries to locate the necessary life insurance documents in the event of your passing, but is also designed to protect these important documents from being destroyed or lost due to fire, flood, theft, or another cause.  With two sets of records, if one set of records was lost or couldn’t be located, there would still be another set.

For each life insurance policy and in each storage location, you should keep the following information:

• The name of the life insurance carrier for the policy
• The city and state of the carrier’s headquarters or home office
• The name and address of the company that owns/operates the life insurance company
• The type of policy (whole life, term, annuity, etc.)
• The policy number (or certificate number)
• The date the policy was first issued
• The amount of the policy (also called death benefit)
• The name and address of the agent/broker who sold you the policy
• Any other contact information such as phone numbers for the carrier and agent/broker

The reason why you want to keep such detailed information about each policy is because you want to prevent your beneficiaries from having to deal with the unfortunate event of your passing and the additional stress that could result from any confusion or difficulty in verifying or locating policy.  Keeping your policies organized and safe will provide you with this peace of mind.