Benefits of Safe Driving on Your Car Insurance Rates

Most of us recognize unsafe driving. Texting while driving is not safe. Eating while driving is not safe. Reading, applying makeup, shaving are not safe behind the wheel. Turning around and talking to the kids in the back seat is definitely not safe. Drinking while driving is not only unsafe, it’s against the law.

Committing to save driving habits can save your life and the lives of your friends and loved ones. And there are many other benefits to safe driving too.

Driving Safe Deductible Auto Insurance Discounts

Many insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who they consider “safe drivers.” These incentives for driving safe may be a vanishing deductible discount. Depending on your driving record, this discount may mean that for every year you do not file a car accident insurance claim, your deductible is discounted. Let’s say you have a $500 deductible. If you file no claims for five years and have no accidents, your deductible could be discounted to zero.

Save Driving Courses Save Money and Lives

Taking a safe driving course can help you learn how to improve your driving skills, save your life and help you obtain a discount on your insurance premium. In some states if you take a defensive driving or safe driver course, you could get up to 10% off your insurance rates for three to five years. While safe driving courses do vary, they do teach students how to:

·         Make informed decisions on the road

·         Anticipate potential dangerous situations while driving

·         Have insight into potential problems in their own driving techniques and make needed changes

·         Handle road rage

·         Deal with dangerous weather and road conditions

You may take safe driving courses online, in the classroom or also receive behind the wheel training.

Shave Points off Driver’s Record

Safe driving courses can help you shave points off your driving record after you have received a ticket for a driving violation. If you have received a moving violation ticket, taking a safe driver course may excuse you from having to appear in court. Often, taking the safe driving course may keep your insurance rates from rising after you have had a moving violation.

When you drive safely, additional benefits include:

·         You save money on gas. Your car can achieve peak efficiency when you avoid rapid acceleration and lots of quick stops.

·         Your tires last longer. Safe drivers do not tailgate, except in football parking lots. Because safe driving includes braking gently and not zooming from zero to 80 in 10 seconds, there is less tread wear on your tires.

·         Your engine is happy. Because you are not doing a lot of quick starts, accelerations and rapid stops, your car’s engine can function more efficiently, and thus last longer.

·         You live longer. While you cannot control what other drivers on the road are doing, you will have more awareness of the road and have the ability to be proactive when you sense danger coming. This can result in fewer accidents.

Questions about Driving Safe Benefits You May Qualify For?

Our agents can give you more information about the types of options involving safe driving courses or safe driver discounts that may be available to you in your region. Find out more by contacting Dostal & Kirk Insurance & Financial Services at (877) 562-6801 or info@dostalkirk.com. We return all phone calls and emails promptly.

How Teen Drivers Affect Your Car Insurance 
When teens are about to turn 16, chances are they’re dreaming of carefree days behind the wheel with the windows down and the wind in their hair. As the parent of a new teen driver, your dreams may be clouded
with worry and higher insurance rates.

Talking to your insurance agent is a first step in dealing with both topics. Knowing that you have adequate car insurance coverage can offer peace of mind when you hand over the keys to your teenager. Your agent can help you design a policy that protects your family and meets your budget.

When to Add Your Teen Driver to Your Car Insurance
Every driver must be insured, even while they are driving with their learner’s permit. And in most cases, it’s more cost-efficient to add your child to your policy rather than buy a separate policy. Usually the new teenage driver will need to be designated as the primary driver on one of the family vehicles. If you are buying a new car as the number of drivers in your family increases, have your teen drive one of the older ones since newer cars cost more to insure anyway.

What Teen Drivers Mean for Your Insurance Rates 
Typically adding a new teen driver will increase your car insurance premium somewhat since teen drivers add more risk. It’s common knowledge that teen drivers cause more accidents and tend to be more easily distracted behind the wheel. Since insurance companies need to protect against those risks, it usually costs more to insure new teen drivers. But while your rates are likely to increase, there are ways to make your car insurance more affordable.

Several Ways To Save 

While the thought of having a new teen driver may send your blood pressure skyward, there are several ways to lower the cost of insuring them.

Raise your deductible. It’s an effective way to offset the cost of insuring a teen driver, but be aware that teens have more accidents, so you may not want to take on more risk than you can handle.
Postpone the license. Many insurance companies offer discounts for teens who mature another year or two before getting their license.
Share the family car. Having your teen drive one of your existing family vehicles may limit their driving time, which reduces your risk in the eyes of the insurance company. If you buy a car just for your teen, that unlimited access may mean more time behind the wheel.
Choose a new car wisely. If you need to buy a car for your new driver, you may want to research which ones cost less to insure. Your insurance agent can help.
Get good grades. Many insurance companies view responsible students as responsible drivers and reward the family with lower insurance rates.
Look for safe driver programs. Ask your insurance agent about safe driving programs. They often require the participants to sign contracts indicating they will not participate in risky behavior such as drinking and driving. They are a way to reduce your insurance premiums and also teach your child safe driving habits that could potentially save their lives.

Don’t Skimp on Coverage to Save a Few Dollars 
Shaving a little off your liability coverage may seem like a way to compensate for a higher premium, but ultimately it may not be the best choice. In the event of a serious accident, skimping on your liability coverage would leave you footing the bill for anything beyond your liability limits, which could potentially put your financial security at risk.

In fact, teen car crashes are more likely to result in high-judgment lawsuits, so many insurers recommend adding an umbrella policy when insuring a new teen driver. Umbrella policies offer protection above and beyond the standard limits of your primary policies. And because umbrella policies are designed for those ‘perfect storm’ instances, they are relatively inexpensive.

Dostal & Kirk Can Help 
Having a new teen driver in the house can be a stressful time, but it doesn’t have to be. Contact us when your teen is about to get behind the wheel. We’ll help you find out how to get affordable, dependable coverage so you’re prepared when you hand over the car keys to your child. Call (877) 562-6801 or email info@dostalkirk.com for more information.

The Dangers of Texting while Driving

62 percent of high-school students admit to texting while driving, according to a survey by
Students Against Drunk Driving and Liberty Mutual Insurance. Of these young texters, one in
four believed there’s nothing unsafe about it.

On the other hand, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) blames the use
of cell phones at the wheel for some 1,000 fatalities and 240,000 nonfatal accidents every year.
That’s about 25 percent of all crashes. Add to this the facts that most young people think they
can easily “multi-task” and they think they’re immortal anyway, and you’ve got a big problem.

Cell Phones Are a Major Distraction 
Safety studies by NHTSA, the University of Utah, and other researchers show that cell-phone
use alone – just talking – is a major distraction for most motorists. It takes away the driver’s
concentration. It slows reaction time. It impedes both-hands-on-wheel control of the vehicle.
As highway-patrol officers have frequently confirmed, it reduces performance to the level of
driving drunk.

What’s more, it’s not just the equipment’s fault. Hands-free cell-phone use is no safer. The real
culprit is the conversation itself, especially when it involves decision making or emotional upset.
There is simply no way a caller can adequately do the complex work of driving – scanning the
road, monitoring traffic movements, reading road signs, adjusting speed, following distance,
and other variables – while on a call.

Texting multiplies these deficits and adds a few more.

•  Inputting, like any kind of writing, requires more concentration that just speaking. 
• Most texters need to keep glancing at the phone’s keyboard and disregarding the road. 
• Reading an incoming text message can be even more problematic, as the driver squints at the tiny screen, then scrolls to follow longer messages. 
• Should the car hit a bump, the phone could fly out of the user’s hand. What then? 

A study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has found that while texting, 4.6 of
every 6 seconds are spent looking at the phone instead of the road. At 55 mph, that’s
equivalent to driving the length of a football field blindfolded. So deciding whether to retrieve a
dropped phone could literally be a matter of life or death.

Thumbs Down, Say Lawmakers 
States lawmakers are cracking down. Texting is now outlawed in 34 states and the District of
Columbia. Law enforcement officers can attest to the need, reporting that texters are easy to
spot on the road since they are inattentive, swerve between lanes and drive slowly.
Other counter-measures to on-road texting are also taking hold. The Occupational Health and
Safety Administration (OSHA), has petitioned President Obama for tougher laws. Why OSHA,
the occupational agency? Because much of America’s workforce is on the road daily, delivering
goods and services or conducting other business activities.

In response, the President instituted the Executive Order on Federal Leadership on Reducing
Text Messaging While Driving in 2009. It prohibits texting by all federal employees during
official business trips.

The courts and insurers are likewise adjusting to the spread of the texting habit. Phone-related
accidents and injuries, whether caused by talking or texting, are seen as forms of driver
negligence, in some cases on a par with DWI (“driving while impaired”) offenses. Increasingly,
victims of such crimes are eligible to receive compensation for their losses.

Safety statistics, here and abroad, make it clear that texting and talking, whether hands-on or
hands-free, make cell-phone use a major threat to public safety. But in the age of hand-held
electronics, will the trend-setting Uncle Sam follow the lead of Great Britain, Japan, Chile, and
more than a dozen other nations in banning these practices? The question remains open.

Call Dostal & Kirk Insurance & Financial Services Today
We have been doing business in Ohio for more than 135 years, so very little surprises us,
including what people do while driving. Don’t hesitate to contact Dostal & Kirk for ways to
instill good driving habits in your family or to discuss all your insurance needs.

Protect Your Home and Everything in it with Homeowners Insurance

Dostal & Kirk Insurance & Financial Services is your source for the right home insurance in Powell, Galion & Bucyrus, Ohio.

One fact of home ownership is that you need to protect your property. Your mortgage lender will require it, and peace of mind does too. Homeowners insurance provides that protection.

Another fact is that when you work with Dostal & Kirk you will understand your coverage and get the service you expect. When a water pipe bursts, we will be there to help you get the repairs necessary to bring back peace of mind.

Homeowners Insurance Explained 
There are many parts to any homeowners insurance policy, but the four main coverage components are:

Building. Coverage usually includes unattached structures such as garages, sheds, retaining walls, fences and more. It insures against most perils that could cause damage to your home, including fire, lightning, explosions, theft, vandalism, smoke, snow, ice, water overflow, vehicle crash, falling objects and others. Common exclusions are flood and earthquake, which may mean you need to add coverage, depending on your location.

Contents: Your personal property and contents of the home are protected from the same perils as the building. The total value of your belongings is determined as a percentage of the home’s structure coverage, which means if you own many valuables, you will likely need additional coverage for the contents of your home.

Liability: Coverage will compensate for medical costs and legal expenses associated with damages or injuries to others caused by you or family members on your property or away from home, up to a certain limit. Liability coverage is what protects you when your dog or other covered animal bites a neighbor.

Temporary Living Expenses: If your home is damaged, this will cover your housing, meals, car storage and other expenses while your home is repaired or rebuilt. It usually pays up to a certain percentage of the total amount your home is insured for.

Types of Home Insurance Coverage 

When you purchase insurance to protect your home and contents, you can choose from three types of coverage: 

Actual cash value: Covers the value of your home plus your personal property after depreciation. You won’t be reimbursed for what you spent on your possessions, in other words, but rather for what they are worth before you need to file a claim. 

Replacement cost: Covers actual value of your home and contents without factoring depreciation. It may be more expensive than Actual Cash Value but it guarantees you can repair or rebuild your home and replace everything you’ve lost, no matter the age or condition. 

Extended replacement: Coverage provides protection against inflation by insuring your home will be rebuilt or repaired, no matter what the cost. 

How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost? 

As with all types of insurance, there is not a standard price for homeowners insurance since no two homeowners have the exact same needs. So let’s talk about factors that influence the cost of your homeowners insurance to get a better understanding of how costs are determined. 

It starts with how much your house is worth and where it is located. Is the neighborhood subject to much crime, is there a fire hydrant nearby, how far will firefighters have to travel to get to your house? The age of the home speaks to condition of plumbing, heating and electrical systems. A home’s claims history will be considered, including those by previous owners. Your credit history will also be a factor. Insurance industry studies show that people with better credit tend to be more responsible homeowners who file fewer claims. 

Ways to Lower Homeowners Insurance Premiums 

Homeowners insurance may be required, but paying more than you need to for coverage is not. 

Here are some things you can do to save money on your premiums: 

• Raise your deductible 
• Multi-policy discounts if you use one company for both home and car insurance 
• Age discounts, based either on your age or the home’s 
• Home security discount (home alarms, smoke detectors, deadbolt locks, etc.) 
• Claims-free discounts if you don’t file a claim for a certain number of years (varies by insurance company) 

Review Your Policy Annually 

Once you have purchases homeowners insurance, it’s smart to review your policy every year since changes do occur, and you always want to be sure you are properly protected. For example, have you made changes to the property or added an expensive antique that needs a policy amendment? Did your credit rating improve, or have you experienced other life events that could mean you qualify for additional discounts? 

Document Your Belongings 

You’ve worked hard for your home and possessions, so take an extra step and create a home inventory. Photograph, videotape or otherwise document the entire contents of your home. Store the photos, data file or videotape in a fireproof box. Then, should disaster in one form or another strike, you’ll be prepared for the claims process if you can readily provide proof of home contents to the insurance company. 

Dostal & Kirk Is Here To Help

Whether it’s your home or your car or your small business you need to insure, we will be with you every step of the way. On your behalf, we work with several insurance companies so you know you’re getting the best possible coverage at the best possible price. Call us today at (877) 562-6801.

www.dostalkirk.com 

Make Sure Your Valuables Are Covered with Homeowners Insurance

You don’t have to be a millionaire to have high value assets. Perhaps you own fine jewelry, a grand piano or a prized collection? Your keepsakes with high monetary value — family heirlooms and other personal belongings — are important to you.

Owning expensive things can be enjoyable for you and your family but also carries some risk. To protect what you own, it is necessary to understand what coverage your homeowners insurance offers for your high value property.

Standard homeowners insurance often has limits on the amount of coverage available for valuable property. If you own things that would be expensive to replace, your homeowners insurance may not provide the full coverage you need to pay for costly replacement items. Limitations can apply to individual items and categories of items. When the value of a collection is high, additional high value assets insurance can be needed to adequately cover its worth.

How High Value Assets Insurance Can Benefit You
While standard homeowners insurance has limits on the amount of coverage available for individual personal items, your policy can be tailored to cover your high value property. High value assets insurance can protect your valuable personal property in ways that standard homeowners insurance cannot. Coverage for high value assets can be provided for all risks, including breakage and theft.

It is important to understand the full value of items and protect what you own. High value assets insurance can be used to provide full coverage for a wide range of items, including:

 Antiques
 Artwork
 Cameras
 Collections: stamps, coins, wine, figurines
 Electronics
 Fine jewelry, watches
 Firearms, guns
 Furs
 Golf equipment
 Memorabilia
 Musical instruments
 Silver, silverware

Many people own valuable property and are unaware of just how much it is worth. Maybe you did not even purchase your keepsakes; they were inherited or given to you. Even if you purchased a valuable item, its value can fluctuate over time. A credible appraiser can be helpful. Although some cost is involved with a formal appraisal, this can be money well spent for any serious collector.

Make an Inventory of Your Valuable Assets
A thorough and accurate assessment of your valuable property today can make handling a claim a much more efficient process should the need ever arise. First, compile a list of all of your valuable possessions. Make a detailed list of everything valuable you own, take photographs of the items and store the list somewhere outside of your home in a safe deposit box or at a friend or relative’s residence.

Record all valuable items as you go through your part of your house room to room, including the basement and garage. List the name of the item and a description as well as brand name if applicable, the date purchased and any appraisals. This same process can also be used to provide an overall home inventory for your regular homeowners insurance that includes more standard possessions.

Once you have completed your home inventory taking note of high value items, a yearly assessment can update changes in your possessions and their value. Updated information about your possessions can keep your high value asset coverage fitted to your changing needs.

Insurance Protection Brings Peace of Mind
High value assets insurance offers coverage when broader protection is required. It can be reassuring to know that your most valuable possessions have full coverage in the event of unexpected loss due to fire, theft or damage.

Learn More about How to Protect Your Valuable Property
Don’t make assumptions about how your high value assets are insured. Contact Dostal & Kirk today to assess your high value asset risk and form a comprehensive insurance plan. Our greatest priority is to make sure that you have the right insurance coverage for all of your property.

Tips to Boost Your Credit Could Lower Your Insurance Premiums

More and more you hear that your credit rating can affect how much you pay for auto and
home insurance. Have you ever wondered why? What do your spending history and credit
cards and money habits have in common with insurance? The concept is debatable, but it is a
fact that your credit rating has a significant impact on your auto insurance rates.

It may make sense if you know that insurance companies determine insurance rates by
classifying people in groups, based on age, gender, location, accidents, violations, credit history
and more. Research shows that as a group, people with lower credit scores pose a larger risk to
the insurance companies that are protecting them (Insurance Information Institute). Perhaps
they are distracted and have more accidents. On the other hand, people who manage their
credit tend to be more responsible and file fewer auto and home claims.

How Can I Improve My Credit Score?

It’s important to monitor your credit score, so get yours, either online or by phone. You are
entitled to a free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every
year. To improve your score over time:

• Pay your bills on time. Automatic bill pay might help you avoid missing deadlines. 
• Be aware of your total debt. Pay down any credit-card balances so they are significantly less than half of your total credit limit.
• The length of your credit history matters, so think about that before closing old accounts.
• If you see an error on your report, take steps to have it removed.

You will be glad you made the effort to boost your credit score. Not only will you save on 

insurance premiums, but a good rating can lower interest rates on your credit cards and other 

loans. 

Community Involvement

Power of the Purse
American Red Cross of Delaware County

On May 10th, Dostal & Kirk attended the 2nd annual Power of the Purse fundraiser, which was held at the Scioto Reserve Country Club in Powell. This event helped raise $33,000 for the American Red Cross of Delaware County. Our very own, Jane Kuraly, is on the American Red Cross board and served on the Power of the Purse Committee. Dostal & Kirk was an event sponsor. Pictured below is our team and family enjoying the night. 

 

Bowl-A-Thon

Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio 

On Friday, May 17th, Dostal & Kirk participated in the 23rd annual Junior Achievement (JA) Bowl-A-Thon.  This year's theme was Beach Blanket Bowling and we were rockin' all night with live music from Sinister Midget.  The event was able to raise a total of $3,447 which will allow 114 students to receive the JA programs.  JA teaches students about smart money management and business leadership skills.