Save on a Road Trip Near Cincinnati, OH This Fall

Posted on by AgentInsure

The fall is a beautiful time of year to take a road trip, and going on one doesn’t need to cost you much. At Advantage Insurance Network, we regularly talk with drivers in Cincinnati, OH. Most of our conversations focus on their insurance needs, but sometimes road trips come up. Here are some tips we’ve learned about saving money on road trips.

Save on a Fall Road Trip Near Cincinnati, OH

Whether you want to take a day trip or head out of town for a long weekend, autumn is the perfect time of year to go. The weather’s usually pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold, and many families have kids in school. Of course, one of the main reasons to go for a drive during fall is to appreciate the foliage.

If you’re going to take a trip to see foliage, save money by:

  • looking for free things to do, such as going for a walk or hike

  • driving the speed limit, which will improve your car’s fuel economy and give you time to admire the trees

  • bring a picnic, so you don’t have to buy food and can enjoy eating outdoors

Save on Auto Insurance with Us

Autumn is also a great time of year to review your auto insurance policy. As the summer winds down and you get back into a routine, pull out your auto insurance policy and check its coverages and premiums. If you compare your current policy to others that are available, you may find that there are less expensive policies on the market now.

If you’d like to compare your current auto insurance with other insurers’ policies, contact our independent insurance agents. We serve Cincinnati, OH, and our agents are always ready to help drivers find affordable auto insurance coverage. To get ahold of them, contact us via our website.

3 Reasons Not to Share a Renters Policy with Your Roommate

Posted on by AgentInsure

Sharing a place to live with a roommate can be a great way to save money and resources. Many insurance carriers offer the ability to add two unrelated adults to a single renter’s insurance policy. However, sometimes this isn’t always the best option.

Here are three reasons not to share a renters insurance policy with your roommate.

Reason #1: Connected Together

Probably the most important reason to not share a renters insurance policy with your roommate is that is connects the two of you together. This means that if one person moves away, it could be extremely difficult to remove the other from the contract.

In addition, any claims checks that are received as part of a loss will have both of your names, making it extremely hard to cash if you aren’t speaking or one of you lives far away. By each of you having your own policies, you are treated as individuals and do not have to consult each other before any policy changes.

Reason #2: Personal Property Coverage

Another reason to have separate renter’s insurance policies is the difference in personal property coverage. If you have a lot of stuff and your roommate does not, it is probable that you would want a higher limit. Unfortunately, more personal property coverage means a higher premium. By having individual policies, the two of you can each cover your own items without having to include the other person’s belongings.

Reason #3: Liability Coverage

Another reason to have separate policies is liability. The liability coverage included on a renters insurance policy extends past what happens in your house or apartment. This means that if you share a policy and your roommate accidentally causes injury or damage to someone or their property while away, the claim would be on your record. If you have separate policies, the incident would only affect your roommate individually.

Learn more about renters insurance coverage today. Contact our team at the Advantage Insurance Network for details.

Winter Indoor Fun In Cincinnati, Ohio

Posted on by AgentInsure

When your kids are at home in the wintertime of Cincinnati, it’s important to know more about the indoor fun you can have. Knowing some of the activities that are fun can ensure no one gets bored and starts to complain. There are quite a few ways to have fun, even when cooped up indoors.

Create a Board Game

Forget about the same boring board games that the kids have been playing forever. Instead, let them create a new game to play – and they can borrow from some of the games you may already have.

Make Salt Dough

Whip up a batch of salt dough using salt, flour, water, and oil. It can be colored and formed so kids can create an array of statues, figurines, ornaments, and more. Most recipes even allow you to bake the goodies so they never have to go back into a baggie or can.

Write a Story

Let the kids run wild with their imaginations and write a story. Each kid can write their own or you can suggest that they collaborate on one. It can be a great way to keep them busy for hours, especially if you encourage them to illustrate the entire story as well. You may end up with a new holiday tradition at the end of this winter.

Have a Dance Party

Many times, kids get restless and therefore you need some way of making sure they get some exercise. A dance party kills two birds with one stone because they get their exercise and they have fun in the process. Invite some kids over, crank up the music, and let them go to it.

At Advantage Insurance Network we’re prepared to help you find homeowner’s insurance in Ohio. Call today and learn about the different coverage options, and more.

 

 

Cincinnati Car Care Tips For The Fall

Posted on by AgentInsure

When you live in Cincinnati, it is important to follow a variety of car care tips throughout the year. In the fall especially, there is colder weather and various things you may need to be concerned about. The weather may bring snow, ice, and various other issues on the road. Following a few tips can ensure that you and your car are able to proceed.

Check the Battery

The battery should be checked before the weather gets too cold. Your battery is not going to deal with the cold weather very well and therefore connections need to be tight, clean, and corrosion free.

Inspect the Tires

Inspect the tires for tread depth as well as tire pressure. This will have a significant impact on your ability to drive down the roads, especially as weather gets worse. A gauge should always be kept in your car so that you can check tire pressure on your own.

Schedule an HVAC Inspection

Schedule an HVAC inspection with a mechanic so that you can make sure that the heating system is working properly and that your defroster is capable of clearing the windows.

Make Some Replacements

Now is the perfect time to replace a few things within your car. You may want to replace the cabin air filter so that you are more comfortable. The wiper blade should be replaced so that they can clear away snow, ice, and anything else that may land on your windshield. If you experience a lot of snow and ice where you are driving, specialty tires may need to be placed on your car as well, allowing you to grip the roads better.

At Advantage Insurance Network, we’re here to help you find affordable auto insurance in Cincinnati. Call today and let one of our agents guide you through the process, answering any questions you may have along the way.

 

 

 

 

Extend Vehicle Life In Cincinnati

Posted on by AgentInsure

Extending vehicle life in Cincinnati is of the utmost importance. Many people forget to focus on regularly scheduled maintenance for their vehicle and then they end up spending a lot of money down the road in repairs. If you are going to spend the money on a car, you want to extend the life so that you get the maximum value from it. There are some tips that you can follow to ensure that you are doing everything you can to extend its life.

Some of the most important things you want to do include:

  • Schedule oil changes regularly
  • Check tire pressure weekly
  • Don’t run the AC too much

There are plenty of other things that you can do, in addition to the tips above. Observe the speed limit at all times. If you are accelerating quickly and then having to use the brakes, it will use more fuel. With fuel costs rising higher than ever before, you want to make sure you are doing what you can to reduce the cost per gallon.

If you remove a lot of the added weight from your trunk, you can extend the life of your vehicle as well. Many people carry around much more than what they need in the trunk and this can weigh down the car. It can impact acceleration, performance, and even tire wear.

Learn about the maintenance schedule for your vehicle. This will be found within the owner’s manual or you can talk to the mechanic at your local dealership. Bringing your vehicle in for maintenance is critical for overall performance.

Call us today at Advantage Insurance Network to learn more about ways to protect your vehicle. We can help you to find an affordable insurance policy in Ohio and answer any questions that you may have about coverage.

 

Think You Don’t Need Renters Insurance? Think Again!

Posted on by AgentInsure

Think you don’t need renters insurance? Think again! There are a variety of reasons why people don’t take out the coverage they need, but many of these ideas just aren’t true. Here are a few things to consider about renters insurance.

Your Landlord Isn’t Responsible for Your Belongings

When surveyed, most people who rent a home or apartment mistakenly believed that their landlord was responsible for their personal items in the event of a catastrophe. The truth is that the person (or company) that owns the building where you live is not responsible for your items. This means that you would have to personally pay to replace that flat screen television set you purchased last year and your grandmother’s fine china if there was a theft, fire, weather event, or some other loss scenario.

For many people, replacing every item owned would be a costly endeavor that they just could not afford to do. By having renters insurance, these items are able to be replaced much more easily and cost effectively. Furthermore, many policies even offer a provision that pays for temporary housing while your landlord fixes any damage to your dwelling that makes it impossible to live in.

Renters Insurance is Actually Quite Affordable

One of the biggest fallacies about renters insurance is that it is expensive. In fact, this is the number one reason why many tenants opt to skip this type of coverage. Most policy premiums are only a few dollars a month and many carriers offer additional discounts for pairing it with your auto policy. In fact, in some circumstances, it is actually cheaper to have auto insurance and a renters policy versus just car coverage alone.

To learn more or to receive a no-obligation quote, please contact our team at Advantage Insurance Network today.

Home Cleaning Tips To Help You In Cincinnati

Posted on by AgentInsure

Cleaning your home in Cincinnati doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. There are a variety of tips that can save you time and money. As you implement these into your daily chores, you will find that it is easier than ever before to clean your home.

Dusting
Dusting may seem like it’s never ending. When you are dusting fan blades, use an old pillowcase over each blade. The dust will be wiped backwards into the pillowcase so that it doesn’t fall on anything else. When dusting lampshades and various other items, use a lint roller.

Cleaning Hard to Get Stains
When there are greasy prints on your walls, color them with white chalk. Allow them to sit for a few minutes and then wipe off the chalk marks. The grease will go with the chalk. When you have hard water stains on your faucets, fill a sandwich bag with distilled white vinegar and rubber band it onto the faucet. Allow to sit for a few hours and then rinse it off.

Other Tips
You can find plenty of other tips to benefit from as well. Wipe down your flat surface cooktop with car wax so that it’s easier to get grease off in the future. Use shower gel on your bathroom tile to clean up the grout. Use vinegar on your carpets to get stains out, and mist your mattresses with a combination of diluted water and essential oils to sanitize and improve the smell.

Whenever you can use cleaning tips, it will make it easier to keep your home looking great all the time.

Call us at the Advantage Insurance Network today to learn about how to get homeowner’s insurance you can rely on. We’re happy to get you quotes, answer questions, and more.

 

Stay Safe Behind The Wheel By Being Awake And Alert

Posted on by AgentInsure

Any time that you are driving in Cincinnati, you need to be awake and alert. You may think that these sound like normal responsibilities, though approximately 60% of adult drivers will drive when they are drowsy. 37% will even fall asleep, and this can lead to 100,000 police reported crashes every single year.

The best way to avoid being one of these statistics is to stay safe behind the wheel. Be awake and alert at all times – and there are tips to help you do this.

You should always get a full 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, and this is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.

If you are driving down the highway and feel the urge to fall asleep, pull off at a rest area and take a 20 minute nap. If you have a long distance to go still, you may also want to consider checking into a motel or hotel.

Whenever you are going long distances, try and split the driving responsibilities within another licensed driver. You should also plan on taking a break from being behind the wheel approximately every two hours or 100 miles.

If you do feel tired and don’t want to drive, don’t push yourself and risk getting into an accident where injury or death to you or someone else could occur. Ask someone to drive you home, or even call a taxi company. It’s better to spend the money on a taxi then to risk your life on the road.

The roads of Cincinnati, Ohio can be dangerous enough as it is, and you need to make sure to stay safe when you are driving.

Call us at Advantage Insurance Network to learn more about auto insurance. Our agents can get quotes and guide you to the best policy to have in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

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Does Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy Cover Equipment Breakdown?

Posted on by Lewis Smith

Homeownership can be tough. Sometimes our most important – and most expensive! – household items can breakdown with no warning. Safeco Insurance offers a unique endorsement you can add to your Ohio homeowner’s insurance policy that can help. “Equipment Breakdown” coverage through Safeco Insurance covers your essential home systems and personal property in the event of an unexpected mechanical or electrical breakdown NOT caused by normal wear and tear or corrosion.

Example: Jane Smith’s home has an air conditioning unit that is five years old. She turns it on and it works fine for the first few weeks of summer. All of a sudden, it stops working. Jane calls a technician who says the unit has a bad compressor and it is going to cost $3000 to replace. Under Safeco’s Equipment Breakdown endorsement, since this is a sudden event and not the result of normal wear and tear, Jane will get the cost of the new unit covered (minus her $500 deductible that comes with this endorsement.) This is not the same deductible as your all peril on your homeowner’s policy and a claim on this endorsement does not count towards your policy.

At about $2 a month, it is a convenient way to make sure your belongings and your budget are covered. Typical household items covered under Safeco’s Equipment Breakdown Coverage are:

Washers and dryers

Computer equipment

Dishwashers

Refrigerators and freezers

Ovens and microwaves

Garbage disposals

Heat pumps

Heating and A/C systems

Electrical service panels

Home security systems

Water heaters

Well water pumps

Sump pumps

Surround sound systems

Swimming pool equipment

Televisions/Plasma/LCD

If you think this is a coverage you need to add to your homeowner’s insurance, call Advantage Insurance Network LLC and get a homeowner’s insurance quote with Safeco today!

Is Your Cincinnati, Ohio Business Insurance Keeping Pace?

Posted on by AgentInsure

We have seen some big changes to Cincinnati, Ohio in recent years. Industry has expanded, retail is growing, and the Riverfront has undergone a facelift. There have been significant changes to our area highways and our sports stadiums. Many areas are rebounding from the recent recession and many businesses are growing and doing well.

If you have a business in the Queen City, is your commercial insurance keeping pace?

You can outgrow your business insurance in many ways. Perhaps you were previously leasing but have decided to purchase a building. Maybe you carry more inventory than you used to. You may have made investments in new machinery, electronics and computers. Maybe overall, you simply have more at stake. All of these can factor in having business insurance that may no longer cover you adequately.

The best solution is having a commercial insurance review. Advantage Insurance Network is an independent insurance agency serving the Cincinnati area. As independent agents, we can review your insurance, no matter who the original underwriter was. If you choose, we can scour multiple insurance providers finding the best coverage for your commercial insurance dollar. If you haven’t had an insurance review in a while, now is the time to contact us.

If you would like to compare rates for your personal insurance, visit our website. Here you can easily get comparative quotes on your homeowners or auto insurance. For a business insurance quote, contact us directly.

We have seen it all in Southwest Ohio. Advantage Insurance Network is proud of our area and our resilience. As we move forward again, make sure your business insurance is keeping up. Contact us for your free, no obligation commercial insurance review. We look forward to talking with you.