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Scotia, NY 12302

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Author: agentinsure

Tips to Stay Safe on a Cross Country Road Trip

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Even if summer is closing, there are still plenty of reasons to take an epic road trip. Scotia, NY, is as good a starting point as anywhere, so DePaulo Agency is here to give you a few safety tips before you leave.

Supply for Emergencies

Rule number one on any trip is to have a plan in case of emergencies. When taming the open road, the basic supplies you should consider are flash lights, bottled water, a first aid kit, blankets, phone chargers and jumper cables. Another nice item to have stashed is an old blanket that can keep things clean if you have to get under the hood unexpectedly. You can add whatever else you might deem important to your emergency cash (snacks never hurt), but these are the essentials.

Drive Safely

Obviously. But, there are steps you can take to be safer behind the wheel. First and foremost, manage your distractions. Set up the GPS while you’re parked, and leave screen time for when you aren’t driving. Passengers can also be distracting, so make sure they access to everything they need. If you are driving alone, make sure everything important (food, drinks, music changer etc) is well within reach before you put the vehicle in gear. The next big safety tip is to manage your fatigue. You’re planning on lots of driving, so never push yourself when you’re tired. Pulling off and catching a few z’s can be the difference between life and death. Road trips are supposed to be enjoyable, so there’s no need to keep to a grueling pace. Finally, take care of the vehicle. You should go through a basic inspection at the start of every trip and at least every 10,000 miles. You should be checking fluids, tires, brakes, lights and wipers.

Stay in Touch

It’s always a good idea to update someone who isn’t on the trip. A simple text or call every time you get to a new checkpoint will ensure someone knows where to direct a rescue effort if you find yourself in need. This can be as fun as it is safe, giving you an excuse to send pictures and keep friends or family back home involved.

Of course, the ultimate protection comes in the form of proper insurance. If you travel in style, you can make sure your RV is covered with a quick conversation with Depaulo Agency. We handle accounts across Scotia, NY, and we’ll be happy to help any way we can.

 

Do All Insurance Policy Holders Need Umbrella Insurance?

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Umbrella insurance is something that many policy holders could benefit from but that not all policy holders are in particular need of. There are some key points you can consider to help you determine if umbrella insurance is right for you or not. For those that live in the Scotia, NY area, the agents with DePaulo Agency can help you learn all you need to know about umbrella insurance.

Umbrella insurance is a policy that you can take out that adds supplemental coverage to your everyday life. You can add it to nearly any type of policy and can use it to help cover a wide range of instances. Umbrella insurance is best for those that feel their current policies are not covering what they are currently in need of. Say you have a teenager that is driving for instance and you feel that you are in need of a larger policy than you currently have in regards to your current auto policy, umbrella insurance can help extend and expand this type of insurance coverage.

Not all policy holders are in need of umbrella insurance. It does not necessarily benefit everyone when you look at how much it costs as opposed to how often it is going to be used. Taking the time to look at the different options and to decide which type of policy is going to do you the best is the fastest way to decide if umbrella insurance is right for you or not.

For those that live in Scotia, NY area, the agents with DePaulo Agency can help you to find the right umbrella coverage that you need and to help you decide if you really need umbrella coverage or if another type of policy might better suit your needs.  

How To Choose The Right Life Insurance In Scotia, NY

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Most people may not know everything there is to know about life insurance. However, the residents of Scotia NY can be sure of two things; that choosing the right type of life insurance can be a confusing ordeal, and that getting life insurance is a very important decision that every adult needs to make.

So, what do you consider when choosing the right life insurance? The first thing you want to do is get the right agency. You don’t want to go with an agency that will bully or intimidate you or one that cannot fully explain why you should go for a certain insurance cover over another. The DePaulo Agency is an excellent choice for those who reside in Scotia, NY.

The next thing you want to consider is the type of life insurance. You can go for either “term” life insurance or a permanent life insurance.

If you only need the insurance for a specific period, then getting a term life insurance is the way to go. It allows you to match the length of the term policy to the length of the need. In simpler terms, it simply means, you can purchase a 20-year life insurance if you have kids and you want to ensure there is money for college.

If on the other hand, you need a life insurance for the duration of your life, then you’re better off getting a permanent life insurance policy. With permanent life insurance, your death benefit gets paid whether you live to be a 100 or die tomorrow.

You should keep in mind that the premium for permanent life insurance is typically higher than that of term insurance. However, with term insurance, the premium increases the older you get while with permanent life insurance, it remains the same always.

With the help of The DePaulo Agency, those in Scotia, NY can easily get across to an agency that can help them in deciding the type of life insurance they want.

 

 

Is Your Home Ready for Summer?

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With summer just around the corner, now is a good time to start preparing your Scotia, NY home for summer holidays. Here are a few ways you can make your home the welcoming and pleasing environment family and friends will love. 

Renovate Interior Decor

Say hello to summer with simple renovations to your interior decor. Pack up heavy rugs, drapes, and blankets and replace with lighter and brighter accessories that create a more spacious living environment. Colorful pillows, lightweight area rugs, and fresh-cut flowers will help create a warm and cozy atmosphere to make your guests feel at home.

Cool It Down   

Have your AC maintained in advance to enjoy a cool interior environment all summer long. Combine your AC with ceiling fans to stay cool and comfortable at reduced energy costs.

Let Light In  

Summer is a good time to open your home to the great outdoors by letting in more natural light. You can start by washing your windows inside and out. Clean windows are sure to contribute to a brighter home environment. Next, replace heavy drapes with sheer curtains that don’t obstruct sunlight. Clean windows and sheer curtains also allow you to enjoy beautiful vistas of natural landscaping outdoors.

Ready Your Patio

Ready your patio to make it an entertainment hotspot this summer. Depending on your setup, you may want to upgrade patio furniture, change your lighting, paint your deck or invest in trendy accessories that will make your patio the talk of the town. A classy and comfortable patio will make summer parties and BBQ’s that much more enjoyable for everyone.    

Update Insurance Coverage

Don’t forget to update your home insurance coverage with DePaulo Agency, Scotia, NY, in preparation for the summer holidays. To learn more about coverage options and costs, contact your local agent at DePaulo Agency, Scotia, NY. 

Cyber Insurance

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Most business transactions take place over the Internet, whether if it’s reaching out to prospective customers to gain their interest or completing a purchase. Thus, an avenue has been created for cyber attacks to occur.

The biggest insurance secret in the Scotia, NY business community is cyber liability, which has been in existence for approximately ten years. Often, companies of all sizes fail to ever realize that their data has been breached before it’s too late. The results are financial losses for small and large businesses.

Data breaches have become part of the marketplace every day life; companies must better manage for this potential risk by having cyber insurance offered by the DePaulo Agency that can significantly reduce the loss from a cyber attack.

What is Cyber Insurance?

Cyber insurance is designed to lower the threat of a breach with different coverages that range from data, product and service security. Businesses receive protection on the expenses associated with an investigation of a data breach attack. Cyber insurance allows websites to protect themselves from third party damage done by a writer’s reckless post that has brought a liable charge against them. All threats from hackers to extort money are protected while legal attempts to recover the data that was stolen in a breach are simultaneously taking place.

How to Acquire Cyber Insurance

Keep in mind that cyber insurance is still evolving, so the risk from a breach attack hasn’t been completely understood at this time. Small and large commercial businesses are still gathering information on the cost to protect themselves from data breaches and other cyber attacks. Its important for business leaders to identify what type of insurance is best to combat the different cyber attacks that occur within their industry. A standard needs to be set before another breach occurs.

With an excellent cyber insurance policy, Scotia, NY businesses can protect themselves from losing their market after a cyber attack. It’s important to speak with the DePaulo Agency and get the answers you need today.

The Basics of Filing Storm Damage Claims

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When it comes to storm damage, there are certain things that every claimant should know. Though it might seem like a simple and straightforward claim, storm claims have the potential to be much more difficult than you might imagine. If you live in the Scotia, NY area, the agents with DePaulo Agency can help you get your claim approved.

The first step to any storm claim is to document the damage. Common storm damage for vehicles might be dents, broken lights, broken windows, etc. An adjuster is going to be looking to see if the damage could, in fact, have been caused by the storm, what the extent of the damage is, and how much it will take to fix. If you have hail damage, for example, you want to take pictures of all the damage so that you can start to get your car back in shape.

Another thing to consider is that you should make sure you have your time frame exact. An insurance company is going to look to see if there was a storm when you claimed it, what type of storm it was, and what potential for damage there was with the storm that you are filing a claim about. They are also going to ask what type of shelter there was for your car, and what type of warning you had.

You want to make sure you answer all questions thoroughly and truthfully so that your claim will not be sent back. Your storm damage claim does not have to be complex and difficult to file. With the help of the agents at DePaulo Agency, those living in the Scotia, NY area can get fast and efficient help that they need to get their storm damage claims filed and ready to pay out. Storm damage is awful, getting it fixed is not impossible.

Reasons to have insurance in Scotia, NY

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Scotia, NY residents will need insurance for a number of different reasons. Insurance protects you from the unexpected and the chances of something unexpected happening goes up a lot in when you live in a big city, or in a place that has inclement weather a good portion of the year. Scotia, NY has both of these things, making insurance a real necessity. Below are some good reasons to have insurance in Scotia, NY through a broker like DePaulo Agency who serves the greater Scotia area, so that you, your family and your livelihood are properly protected and insured.

PROTECTING YOUR HOME

If you own a home in Scotia you are going to need a good comprehensive homeowners policy to protect against a variety of things, like fire, storm damage or burglary. If any of the aforementioned things happen, or something freakish like a car driving into your living room or a pipe freezing, bursting and flooding the house, your home insurance policy will cover it and keep you from having to pay more than your deductible, so you can have your home back without breaking the bank. Without home insurance in Scotia, NY an unexpected event could literally leave you homeless.

PROTECTING YOURSELF IN THE CAR

Driving is the one way most people are incredibly vulnerable to the unexpected on a regular basis and the same goes in Scotia. Car accidents are the norm in a big city like Scotia, especially because they have bad weather through a good portion of the year, causing cars to skid and slide unpredictably. With a good auto insurance policy, you can protect yourself from ending up in an accident where you won’t have enough money to pay for physical damages, medical care for those involved or protect yourself against a lawsuit due to the accident itself. Talk to your broker about what is best for you! 

Is Comprehensive Auto Insurance Worth It?

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Comprehensive auto insurance can mean different things to different people, but essentially you’re getting coverage on yourself and your car as well as any other car, person or property you may hit. There are certain events, such as hit-and-run accidents in Scotia, NY, that may not be covered under comprehensive auto insurance, but most major events will fall under the comprehensive package. 

Is It Worth It?

If you’ve been given a car by a relative for free and you know you have savings to buy another car should it be totaled, you probably don’t need comprehensive coverage. You may want to up the limits on your policy if you haven’t looked at it in a while, but buying comprehensive coverage is likely not necessary. However, most people aren’t sure of how they’ll get to work if their car is no longer an option, nor are they prepared to buy something new or pay for expensive repairs if they do happen to cause an accident. It can be extremely stressful on the responsible party, and one that they’re not ready to bear. In this case, buying the comprehensive auto insurance is both helpful for your finances and for your state of mind. 

Making Better Choices 

DePaulo Agency can help you decide on a better policy if you should need one — whether it’s comprehensive or not. We won’t push you toward one decision or the other, we’ll just give you the facts and the possible consequences of each potential option. Insurance can get confusing, and sometimes people just need a short conversation to sort out more about the basic facts and situations. To find out more about about comprehensive coverage in Scotia, NY, call DePaulo Agency to speak to our staff and get the answers you need today. 

The Homeowners Insurance Guide for Your Scotia, NY Residence

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If you own a home in Scotia, NY, you have some amount of homeowners insurance in place. When is the last time you reviewed your coverage to determine if your policy meets the risks or potential for financial loss associated with your home? If has been awhile since you have performed an evaluation of the insurance protection for your Scotia NY home, an independent agent for the DePaulo Agency can help you get up-to-date.

Understanding what your homeowner’s insurance covers and what amount is appropriate are an important aspect of owning a home. Disaster can strike at anytime. Without an adequate amount of insurance in place to cover you from financial loss to your home can leave you having to come out of pocket to make necessary repairs or pay bills associated with any resulting injury or illness.

What is Homeowners Insurance?

Homeowners insurance is designed to provide you with the means to be made whole if you face a financial loss. A financial loss is a reduction in value that occurs when some insurable event happens to your homes, such as a fire, theft, vandalism, or any other occurrence that is not intentional but accidental in nature.

Determining How Much Homeowners Insurance is Appropriate

The State of New York’s Department of Financial Services suggests that the best way to determine how much insurance you need is to have a valuation of your home. It is important to know how much your home is worth since it is this amount that represents the amount of risk you are subject to when a loss occurs.

The replacement value for your homeowner’s insurance is determined by its value, less the deductible paid. The deductible represents the amount of risk you are willing to take on about the insurable amount you are covered for. To determine if you have enough insurance, as well as the correct type, work with an independent insurance agent of the DePaulo Agency.

Creating an Emergency Kit for Your Home

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You never know when something will go terribly wrong and it always better to be prepared than caught off guard. There are many ways you prepare your home for something unexpected. One of those ways is by having an emergency kit for your home in Scotia, NY. When you are developing your home emergency kit, make sure you include these necessities:

  • Food. Make sure you have at least three days of non-perishable food for each person in the home. You may also want to consider getting food that you do not have to cook in case the power goes out.
  • Water. You want to ensure you have enough water for each person for three days. As a rule of thumb, you should have at least a gallon of water per person per day. 
  • First aid kit. You can get a good first aid kit from the store. Make sure this is always fully packed in case you need it in an emergency.
  • A flashlight, extra batteries, and candles. If the power does go out, you want to make sure you have a way to see around you. Make sure you have a way to light the candles. 
  • Portable phone chargers. If the power goes out, you need a way to use your phone in case you need to call for help. Make sure you always have this backup. 

Having a home emergency kit is imperative to remaining safe and secure in your home. DePaulo Agency wants to ensure you are protected in other ways too. One of these ways is by having a great home insurance policy so you can be prepared for almost anything. Contact DePaulo Agency, serving Scotia, NY, today for a free quote on a home insurance policy and more.