Renew & Protect the Interior of Your Car With These Easy to Follow Steps!

/in , /by

Car Insurance in Lacey, WAProtecting and cleaning the interior of your car will improve resale as well as improve your overall enjoyment of your vehicle. With these easy to follow steps, you’ll have the interior of your vehicle in tip-top shape.

Vacuum

Remove your floor mats and using a high powered ShopVac type vacuum, clean your carpet with a vigorous back and forth motion to loosen dirt or small rocks that have become lodged in your carpet. Move your seats forward and backwards to get underneath the seats as well. You’ll be surprised what treasures might be found.

Clean the Carpet

Do you own a carpet cleaner? If not, they you can rent one at most home improvement stores. Using a carpet cleaning solution, wet your interior and vacuum up dirt that is stuck in your carpets interior. If you have kids, perhaps you’ll even be able to get out those cheesy snack stains! If you live in a wet environment, consider some all-weather floor mats to protect your carpet from moisture and mold growth.

Wipe Down & Protect Your Seats

If you have cloth interior, use your carpet cleaner on them. It works great. If you have leather or vinyl interior, use a specialized leather conditioner. Be sure to rotate your clean cloth multiple times to ensure you remove the grime instead of rub it further into your leather.

Clean Your Dash

Your vehicle’s dashboard is subject to more abuse than you think. During the summer, it bakes in the sun and dirt and dust that accumulates on the surface dries it out. Use a product like Armor All to protect and clean your dashboards surface as well as other surfaces of your vehicle. Be careful to avoid using it on a steering wheel as it can make it slick!

Clean your Windows

Your windshield will develop a thin film on it from condensation causing a glare during night time driving. It is important to keep your windshield clean and clear. Using a glass cleaner like Windex, clean and wipe down the windshield. If you haven’t done this in a while, you might need to do it a couple of times!

Change your Cabin Filer

If your vehicle has over 30,000 miles on it, consider pulling out your cabin filter and replacing it. Your cabin filter’s job is to clean the air of allergens, dust and dirt that enters your vehicle through the heating and air conditioning. Many cabin filters are located behind your glovebox and are easily changed yourself.

Keeping your vehicles interior clean and protected will improve your overall enjoyment of your vehicle as well as improve your resale value.

All Insurance One was established in 1978 and is a family owned, local insurance agency in Lacey, WA. Our agents are highly trained professionals and considered masters in their field. By offering protection for your Auto, Home, or Umbrella Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future. It is our passion to provide outstanding insurance service and consumer education to our clients.

Items to Consider If You Want To Own a Vacation Home

/in , , , /by

Vacation Home Insurance in Lacey, WAOwning a secondary home or vacation property can be a rewarding experience and allow you to build so many memories! While owning a vacation home can have countless advantages, it does bring some unique responsibility and maintenance.

Regardless of whether you’re buying a cabin just a few miles away on the lake or an oceanfront condo in Hawaii, you’ll use twice per year, you’ll want to make sure your property remains adequately protected. Renting the property adds an entirely new level of complexity to secondary home ownership and yet a better reason to review your coverages with your licensed insurance agent.

Consider these items when talking to your agent:

  1. Will you need a separate insurance policy for your vacation property liability?
  2. What liability limits are adequate for a home that is vacant more often than is occupied?
  3. If you’ll be renting the property, consider purchasing additional liability limits as well as an umbrella insurance policy to protect you.
  4. Is your vacation home in an area that is affected by natural disasters such as forest fires, hurricanes, floods or earthquakes? You may need a separate additional policy for these.

Follow these insurance tips to reduce the risk of having a claim:

  1. Keep valuables out of your vacation home. Take them with you when you leave.
  2. Ask a neighbor to keep an eye out for any unusual activity at your home.
  3. Consider getting a video surveillance camera such as a Canary or Ring to alert you if someone enters your home. These do not require service contracts and alert you by phone.
  4. Keep your heater set to 60 to prevent any pipes from freezing.
  5. Turn off your water if you plan to leave for extended periods of time. This takes only a few seconds.
  6. Consider a management company if you want to rent the property. They will help keep an eye on things.
  7. Check for obvious liability concerns if you plan to rent the property such as rotten decking, trip hazards, or other deferred maintenance.

We wish you years of memories and relaxation with your secondary home or vacation property. When you’re ready to insure your property, give us a call.

All Insurance One was established in 1978 and is a family owned, local insurance agency in Lacey, WA. Our agents are highly trained professionals and considered masters in their field. By offering protection for your Auto, Home, or Umbrella Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future. It is our passion to provide outstanding insurance service and consumer education to our clients.

Flood Insurance For Your Home

/in , , /by

Flood Insurance in Lacey, WaAccording to FEMA, flood claims occurred in every state in our country in 2016 with the average claim cost in excess of $31,000. Just because your property doesn’t sit next to a stream, river or other body of water doesn’t mean you won’t be impacted. Our recent hurricanes are a great example. Heavy rains can overwhelm drainage systems, run-off from hillsides can seep into your basements and levees can fail. Pretty much anywhere rain falls is where flooding can occur, although, rain is not always the reason. Additionally, it is important to note that flood insurance is NOT included with your standard homeowners insurance policy.

If you do experience a flood claim and have flood insurance, keep these things in mind:

  • Report your claim as soon as possible and have open and frequent communication with your insurance adjuster.
  • Photograph your damages (great if you have before pictures also saved to the cloud, not on a computer hard drive). Your insurance company will likely come out and photograph the damages as well.
  • Keep a list of all of the items you lost in the flood. Receipts are great as well as lists.
  • Take a read through your policy to ensure you understand your rights and coverage.

If you’re considering purchasing flood insurance, we can help. Flood insurance isn’t necessarily expensive. If you happen to live in a flood plain or near a body of water, chances are you’re likely going to pay a hefty sum. If you live away from typical flood areas, your premiums can be much more reasonable. Considering the average cost of a flood claim, it isn’t a bad idea to assess your risk.

If flood insurance is on your mind lately, give us a call.

All Insurance One was established in 1978 and is a family owned, local insurance agency in Lacey, WA. Our agents are highly trained professionals and considered masters in their field. By offering protection for your Auto, Home, or Umbrella Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future. It is our passion to provide outstanding insurance service and consumer education to our clients.

Home Security on a Shoestring Budget

/in , , , , /by

Home Security Options in Lacey, WAMonthly bills can be daunting and for many, the choice of having food and shelter is more important than keeping burglars or robbers away from your home. However, when times are tough, the last thing you want to do is leave your valuables at risk of being stolen. Thanks to many modern security companies, keeping your home secured isn’t as expensive as it used to be. Consider these fun, techy options for home security on the cheap!

  1. SimpliSafe: Instead of paying an alarm company $1500 or having to sign up for a lengthy contract at $40 per month, SimpliSafe sells do-it-yourself home security systems starting at just $245. Safe a bundle by going for a refurbished system. 24/7 monitoring starts at $.50 per day at time of writing this. You can also use the alarm locally and not pay an activation fee.
  2. Canary: Canary is a great option for studio apartments, offices or other areas that are mainly one room. Canary is a small, all-in-one video device that detects motion and records video. It can send you text messages immediately and start recording when you’re away. If you want, you can call 911 or set off a local alarm to scare away any intruders. At just $149, it is a great do-it-yourself security option. Like the idea but have a bigger house? Canary offers additional camera options to add to your main device to monitory as many places as you’d like. They do offer a cloud based service to keep videos.
  3. Arlo: With wire-free cameras and weatherproof design, Arlo is a good option for securing the outdoor of your home or recording at night. With HD, night vision cameras, your home can stay secure day or night. You can even talk through them using the Arlo App! Receive alerts along with HD video right to your phone so you can review and take action if necessary. Another great option for the do-it-yourselfer who doesn’t want the monthly fees. Arlo comes with a free 7 day cloud storage.
  4. Ring: A video recording doorbell. Now that’s genius. Ring can record motion and you can talk to people through it like an intercom system even if you’re not away. Ring offers many options for security cameras beyond just the doorbell. Starting at $199 it is a great, simple security protection right at your front door.

Home security doesn’t have to be expensive. Utilizing technology and a little do-it-yourself ambition, you can secure your home and keep your valuables safe and secure.

If you are looking for great home insurance coverage, call us today or visit our website.

Choosing The Lowest Insurance Cost Likely Isn’t Your Best Plan

/in , , , , /by

Car Insurance in Lacey, WAWe’re flooded daily with insurance commercials claiming that shopping with them will get you the lowest insurance premiums of any company out there. Saving money on your insurance is important, but the lowest insurance premiums are usually accompanied by the lowest insurance coverage.

Determining what insurance coverages you need is something that only a qualified local insurance agent can help you decide. We care more about you being covered adequately than simply giving you the cheapest premiums.

Do you need the auto insurance coverages below? Discuss with us & we’ll help determine what makes the most sense for your personal needs.

Collision Coverage: protection for your car from damage whether at-fault or not. Premiums weigh heavily on the value of your vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage: pays for damage to your vehicle from things such as contact with an animal, fire, theft or vandalism.

Medical Payments: Commonly known as MedPay or PIP, this covers medical bills as a direct results of an accident regardless of fault.

Uninsured Motorist: Coverage for being involved with an uninsured driver. Both physical damage (your car) and bodily injury are offered.

Underinsured Motorist: Coverage to help cover a gap from a motorist who has insurance, but not enough to cover the loss.

When deciding on what coverage options to have, take these situations into account:

Scenario 1: You purchase a low cost, low coverage liability policy with only $25,000 in Property Damage. You rear-end a new, two week old Toyota Camry totaling the vehicle. The Camry’s replacement cost is $35,000. You have to pay $10,000 out of pocket.

Scenario 2: You are t-boned by an uninsured motorist and have extensive medical bills in excess of $50,000. You do not have uninsured motorist coverage or personal health insurance and your auto medical payments only cover the first $10,000. You have to take the uninsured driver to court to pay your $40,000 in medical bills, in the meantime, you’re responsible for the $40,000 in bills.

Regardless of whether you’re shopping for a new home, auto, boat or motorcycle insurance policy if you want the lowest insurance premiums you should be aware that you’re usually lowering the amount of insurance coverage you have. Depending on your situation, this may not be a wise decision because it puts your financial future at risk by carrying low limits. As always, reach out to our insurance agency with any questions.

Educating Your Child About Insurance Before They Leave For College

/in , , , , /by

Insurance for College students in Lacey, WAAttending college is an exciting time for your child. Whether it’s deciding where to go, what to major in or figuring the finances, there are a lot of decisions to think about. Before your child leaves the nest, here are three things to consider when it comes to having the right insurance policy.

1.) Auto Insurance Policy

  • If they are taking their car to college, be sure to update their auto insurance policy. This can easily be taken care of by reaching out to your insurance agent! You’ll want to ensure your child is protected if they get into an accident or experience theft. If your child is attending college out of state, talk with us to see if anything changes on their auto insurance policy.
  • Not taking a car? We suggest still keeping them on your auto insurance policy if they plan to drive when they return home for a visit or in the event they need to borrow a friend’s car on campus.
  • Ask for discounts. See if your child qualifies for any additional discounts.
    • Discounts may include:
      • Good student discount
      • Distant-student discount.
      • Pay in full discount
      • Safe driver discount
      • Data tracking discount

2.) Educate On Liability

College is an amazing social and learning experience. Be sure your child understands the serious consequences of drinking and driving, buying alcohol for kids underage or the other risks that are associated with drugs and alcohol. One poor decision could impact the rest of their life.

3.) If worried about theft while living off-campus, invest in a renters insurance policy.

  • If your child owns valuable items like laptops, televisions, printers, cameras or other expensive items, invest in a renters insurance policy.
  • Construct a full inventory of your child’s items that include model and serial numbers.
  • If your child is living with roommates, remember each child needs their own policy.
  • A renters insurance policy offers more than just covering your property. It can provide important liability coverage.

If my child experiences theft, will I be fully reimbursed?

This is where actual cash value and replacement insurance coverage comes into play. Replacement cost is very simple: It is literally the cost to replace your item with an item of similar quality. Replacement cost policies tend to be a bit more expensive since you are essential getting a brand new item for one that may have otherwise depreciated. Actual cash value is the cost to replace the item minus any depreciation. So, if your child had wear and tear on an expensive electronic device, your insurance would pay out the cost of the electronic minus the depreciation. Talk to your agent for clarification.

Whether it’s changing your child’s auto insurance or investing in renters insurance, let our local experts at All Insurance One help you find the best insurance to fit your needs. For more information about All Insurance One, visit our website.

How to Prevent Foodborne Illness in Your Home

/in , , /by

Food Safety for your home in Lacey, WAAccording to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illness every year. A foodborne illness occurs when you consume contaminated food or beverages. It’s important to understand how to prevent foodborne illness in your home. There are also a few things to keep in mind when grocery shopping.

At the Grocery Store

  • Always place raw meat, poultry and seafood in plastic bags. This helps prevent any of their juices from dripping onto other items in your cart. If possible, store your meat, poultry or seafood in a specific section of your cart, like a bottom rack or front area.
  • Check your packaging before buying. If you are buying canned goods, don’t buy a can that has been dented or is bulging. There is a chance it could be contaminated if it’s lost its seal. For other packaging, don’t buy it if it has torn edges, ice crystals or has been opened.
  • Be aware of how long you are keeping your groceries in your car. Food safety experts say you have a 2 hour window of time between when you pick out your groceries at the store to when you put them away in your home. If the outdoor weather is hot (90 degrees or hotter), you have roughly one hour. Always store your groceries in an air conditioned car vs. a trunk. If you have a long drive ahead of you, consider bringing along a cooler for perishable items.

At Home

  • Do not keep cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Instead, refrigerate your cooked and perishable foods promptly.
  • Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds thoroughly with soap after handling raw meat. It’s good to practice sanitizing your kitchen surfaces before handling raw meat too.
  • Always use separate serving platters & kitchen utensils. You would never want to place your cooked meat on the same plate used for raw meat. Same goes for your utensils.
  • Be aware of your refrigerator temperature. If your temperature goes about 40° F, there is a chance bacteria can start to form.

Understanding proper food handling is crucial for foodborne illness prevention! Knowledge is the first step to keeping yourself, as well as your friends and family members, healthy. For more information, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you have questions about your insurance, call the insurance agents at All Insurance One. All Insurance One was established in 1978 and is a family owned, local insurance agency in Lacey, WA. Our agents are highly trained professionals and considered masters in their field. By offering protection for your Auto, Home, or Umbrella Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future. It is our passion to provide outstanding insurance service and consumer education to our clients.

When to Add a Teen Driver to Your Insurance Policy

/in , , /by

Teen Driver Insurance Policy in Lacey, WAFor your teen, learning how to drive is one of the most exciting times of their lives. Finally, a means to freedom so they think. We all remember the excitement of getting our driver’s permit, then our driver’s license. While your teen driving has its benefits, it also comes with a great amount of responsibility. Reminding your child that driving is a privilege and not a right can help them to remain in control and not distracted while driving.

For you, it is important to understand when to add your teen driver to your insurance policy.  While each state requirements vary, in most cases your auto insurance policy will cover your permitted driver until they acquire their driver’s license. At that point, you’ll want to add them as a driver to the insurance policy even if they do not have their own vehicle.

Avoiding adding your teen driver to the policy is not only against your insurance policy language, but can lead to a dreaded claims denial if your teen is involved in an accident and it is determined you purposefully avoided adding them. Be sure to contact your agent to discuss your options and determine when the best time to add the driver to your policy is.

Some things to keep in mind:

  • Some carriers offer Good Student Discounts if your student keeps their grades up.
  • If your teen child is doing delivery as a job such as pizza delivery or newspapers, this requires a special commercial policy.
  • Even if your rates go up because your child is on your insurance policy, if they have their own vehicle this could net you a multi-vehicle discount on your policy.
  • Having your teen on their own policy will likely lead to higher premiums.

Keeping your teen safe on the road is your number one priority. Keeping your family insured with the right coverage is ours. If you have a teen driver in the household, be sure to contact our agency to discuss what options might be right for your situation.

If you have questions about your auto insurance, call the insurance agents at All Insurance One. All Insurance One was established in 1978 and is a family owned, local insurance agency in Lacey, WA. Our agents are highly trained professionals and considered masters in their field. By offering protection for your Auto, Home, or Umbrella Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future. It is our passion to provide outstanding insurance service and consumer education to our clients.

How to Create a Great BBQ Party

/in , , /by

Umbrella Insurance Policy in Lacey, WA Summertime is one of the most popular seasons to BBQ with friends and family. Whether it’s grilling at your local park or in your backyard, gathering with friends and family on a sunny day always is a memorable event. What makes a BBQ party great? We give simple suggestions of how to create a party you and your guests will remember!

Create a Signature Drink 

  • Whether a great cocktail for the adults or fresh squeezed lemonade for kids, creating a signature drink for your BBQ party adds fun to the environment. Making one signature cocktail is much less work than playing bartender throughout the entire day. Think: sangria, mimosas, margaritas or Moscow mules. Many times you can make big pitchers to lessen the work load.

Prep in Pieces 

  • Instead of trying to do it all in one day, strategically plan to prep in pieces. Have one day where you just go to the grocery store. The next day, chop and prep your produce or make a side dish that can sit in the refrigerator overnight. On the day of your BBQ, setup your table or decorations.

Simple Entertainment 

  • One of the most simple forms of entertainment at a party is good music. Pick out a playlist or stream Pandora through your outdoor or bluetooth speaker. If you want to provide more entertainment, create an outdoor game competition like ladder golf, bocci ball, volleyball or corn hole. Squirt guns, a football/soccer ball or arts & crafts are easy to keep kids busy for hours.

Pick a Theme 

  • Theme parties can be even more memorable! Plus, you can match your food to your theme. If you don’t want to cook all of the food yourself and prefer a potluck style, give suggestions to your guests so they know exactly what to bring to fit your theme.

Buy Plastic Containers 

  • Obviously BBQs with plastic silverware and plates work great for easy cleanup but what about providing plastic take away containers for your guests? Especially if you have a lot of food leftover, plastic containers are a great way to share your food for another day. This also saves space in your own refrigerator! Ask your guests, “what food can I send you home with?”

While throwing a great BBQ party can make for great memories for you and your guests, being properly insured for any unexpected liabilities is also important. The good news is that umbrella insurance policies are relatively inexpensive. Contact an agent at our office for your personalized umbrella insurance quote today. All Insurance One was established in 1978 and is a family owned, local insurance agency in Lacey, WA. Our agents are highly trained professionals and considered masters in their field. By offering protection for your Auto, Home, or Umbrella Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future. It is our passion to provide outstanding insurance service and consumer education to our clients.

Do You Know What Determines Your Car Insurance Rate?

/in , , /by

Car Insurance Lacey, WAWe bet you’ve wondered how car insurance premiums are calculated. Do you ever have discussions with friends of similar age and driving history and find you’re all paying very different premiums for what would appear to be similar coverage?

Insurance premiums are based off of many factors, all of which play a role in your total premium for your auto insurance. A single difference of any of these can give dramatically different outcomes. Some factors insurance companies use to calculate premium can include:

  • Gender, age & marital status
  • What’s your past driving history?
  • What’s your claim history?
  • Your Zip Code where the vehicle is garaged
  • Your credit score
  • How many miles you commute
  • Will you or do you have other policies with the same insurance carrier such as home or renters insurance?
  • Are you currently insured?
  • What types of overage do you want? What limits?
  • What limits did you have on your previous insurance policy?
  • Type and age of vehicle being driven (think safety equipment)

Insurance companies do their best to determine a premium for your situation and calculate a premium that will be profitable for them. It may surprise you to know that many insurance companies try to earn just a few cents on each dollar of premium they collect.

While it is impossible to guess what you are going to be paying each year, you can improve your odds of getting a great rate and terrific coverage by calling a local independent insurance agent. All Insurance One represents multiple insurance companies, so we can provide you with comparison quotes from several of the top insurance companies in Washington.

If you have questions about your car insurance, contact All Insurance One. All Insurance One was established in 1978 and is a family owned, local insurance agency in Lacey, WA. Our agents are highly trained professionals and considered masters in their field. By offering protection for your Auto, Home, or Umbrella Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future. It is our passion to provide outstanding insurance service and consumer education to our clients.