If you are looking to insure your home, it can be hard to work out how much home insurance you need. Obviously you don’t want to pay too much for your home insurance, but not having enough cover can be a problem if anything should go wrong. So what is the right level of home insurance to have? Here are some factors you should consider before making your decision:

Go for 100%

Although how much insurance you need depends on your financial situation, you should try and insure your home for 100% of its value, including the contents. This means that if anything really bad happens to your home the cost of putting it back to exactly how it was will be covered. This is more expensive than just setting an amount that your home should be covered for, but gives you the peace of mind that everything will be replaced with no depreciation. However, before deciding the amount of coverage you need you should ask yourself a number of questions:

How much will it cost to protect my property?
Work out how much it will cost to replace everything in your property right now, and how much this level of coverage will cost. If you cannot afford this level of coverage then remove things that are non-essential from the policy.

Inflation protection
If you are insuring your property it is important to have inflation protection. If you don’t then the amount you receive for damages could be less than you need. If your policy doesn’t automatically include this then review it once a year to make sure you are properly covered.

Home improvements
If you make home improvements then you should make sure that your policy is up to date and covers these new additions. If you don’t then any damage will mean you lose the money you spent on the improvements.

Specialist coverage
If you live in an area that has specific problems, such as flooding, then you need to make sure you are covered for these items. Although it may cost you more if these things are big risks where you live then they are perhaps the most important things to be covered for.

Renting your property
If you rent your property to others then you need to have additional insurance to cover yourself for liability and medical problems should anyone be injured in the property. You will also need additional coverage for the property itself and your belongings.

If you live in an apartment
If you live in an apartment, then the building itself is covered by the landlord’s insurance, although your property and liability are unlikely to be covered. You should have insurance on the items that you own in the rental property.

Keep an inventory
Whatever level of insurance you have, make sure that you keep an inventory of everything that you own and its value. If there are any problems then you can use this list to show exactly how much you are covered for.  Although the amount of coverage you get depends on your circumstances, you should always try and get as close to 100% home insurance coverage as you can.

If you need a new homeowner’s insurance policy or just would like to review your current homeowner’s insurance policy, give Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA a call at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

Everyone wants to get the cheapest car insurance available. The cost of running a car now is becoming stressful, with the increasing price of gas in Butler Pa and everywhere else, and its certainly no fun when the car insurance bill arrives. What are some things you can do to reduce your car insurance costs?

There are quite a few things, but I’d like to look at car insurance discounts. It is not well known but car insurance companies offer all sorts of discounts to car insurance policy holders. These discounts help reduce the cost of the policy and therefore reduce your car insurance costs.

Although these discounts exist, the car insurance companies do not always immediately offer them to you, so to get them you often need to ask about them.  So here are a few ideas for you to ask about, they vary from area to area and company to company.

No claims or renewal discount
Probably the most well known of all, a discount for having a clean insurance claims record. Over time, up to a certain point, your percentage discount will increase for a clean record.

Anti theft devices
Each year the car insurance companies pay out hundreds of millions of dollars for claims related to auto theft. Anything which reduces the risk that your car will be stolen will reduce their risk that they will need to pay a theft claim. So if you have an anti theft device this may well result in reduced premiums, if you ask about it.

Advanced driver training
A more skilled driver also results in reduced risk of accident. So if you have undertaken an advanced driver training course then this may well reduce your premiums, especially if you are young.

Often with things like advanced driver training and anti theft devices the reduction in premium can, over time, pay for the extra costs involved in getting these things.

Multi policy discount
The insurance companies want more business, and so if you have an auto insurance policy with them, and have a home insurance policy as well, you may well qualify for a discount on both by holding them at the same company.

Multi vehicle discount
Exactly the same as above. Hold policies for more than one vehicle at the same company and you may well get a discount.

Low mileage discount
If your vehicle only drives 5000 miles a year that reduces the risk to the auto insurance company. If you do few miles then let them know and see if you are entitled to a discount.

Thats just a few but Im sure you get the idea. The car insurance companies will reward things which reduce their risk or increase their business with discounts. But you often need to ask, they don’t always volunteer them.

So when your next renewal comes remember to ask about discounts.

Want a free auto insurance quote?  Contact Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

Shopping For The Best Car Insurance Quote

When thinking about getting the best car insurance quote  it can seem like a long frustrating task that will take spending hours upon hours sifting through a variety of insurance facts and figures and dealing with conditions and terms that often appear to have been designed to confuse and baffle.
Getting the cheapest car insurance can also sometimes seem impossible too, with so many car insurance quote experts out to get your money and all saying they are the cheapest. To get the best coverage at an inexpensive rate it is essential for you to shop around and not just rely on one individual or company to provide you with the best car insurance quote.

Finding an appropriate car insurance quote has a lot to do with where a person looks for it and a lot to do with the type of driving that takes place in the vehicle to be insured. As a car or vehicle owner, you will need to establish a variety of variables about your vehicle usage and take that information with you when you seek our your quote.

Getting car insurance cheaper may simply be a matter of using your car less on the road and perhaps, if appropriate, insuring it for only pleasure driving or limit the distance that you will drive your vehicle over the following year.

After establishing your vehicle’s possible usage, you can obtain car insurance quote from a dealer, a broker or direct with an insurance company. One of the best ways is to get your car insurance quotes online. This is because of the general simplicity of the forms and variety of sources for finding quotes online. There are a lot of options available to the consumer online and you can peruse them at your leisure without being pressured by pushy salespeople.

A good car insurance company will offer a variety of rates for their clients and will integrate the client usage information (such as the amount of miles driven per week/month/year and the types of travel undertaken) to create the best possible insurance package for the client.

Getting a good car insurance quote though, is as much about finding a quality car insurance company as it is about your car usage statistics. You need to be certain that in the event of a claim the company will pay the claim and not use the policy smallprint to invalidate your cover.

Remember that the companies you will be dealing with will be trying to compete to be your car insurance company, so don’t be afraid to get as many quotes as possible before settling on a particular car insurance quote.

While shopping for a car insurance quote, it is important to keep in mind that car insurance companies rely on their consumers and the usage details provided. If you provide inaccurate pertinent or relavant information then, in the event of a claim, your insurance can be voided and the insurance company may well refuse to pay your claim.

Car insurance companies are in the business to supply people like you with insurance, but only because they know it will return them a profit. As a result the competition in rates is very strong between companies with the desire to obtain customers driving costs down but the need for profits pushing the premiums up. The opportunity for you, the consumer, to save a considerable amount of money in this competitive climate is greater than ever.

Want a free auto insurance quote?  Contact Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

It’s fashion over safety for nearly 8 out of 10 women drivers, a recent survey revealed.

Nearly 80 percent of women drivers wear unsafe shoes when they’re behind the wheel, a survey conducted by the United Kingdom price comparison website Confused.com says.

All told, 40 percent of women drivers say they wear high heels when driving, a safety faux pas according to many driving experts. Additionally, another 39 percent of women drivers say they wear wedges, platform heels or other footwear unsuitable for safe driving, the survey concludes.

“Women have been driving in high heels for years,” said Lauren Fix, automotive columnist and safety expert. “Part of the problem is that they are wearing these six-inch spike heels with these new risers on the bottom. So you’re not getting a good feel of the pedal.”
Nearly half the women between the ages of 24-35 wear heels when behind the wheel, making that group the most likely to place fashion over safe driving habits.

“Wearing inappropriate footwear could cause the driver to lose control of the car and so we’d recommend keeping a pair of suitable shoes in the car to avoid any crashes,” said Gareth Kloet of Confused.com in a statement. “Look at your feet; if you are wearing shoes which you would not wear for a driving test then you probably shouldn’t wear them to drive either”.

Of course, women are not alone. Twenty seven percent of driving men admit to wearing flip flops, which is considered equally unsafe because they can slip off and get jammed between the gas and brake pedals.

Another 22 percent admit to driving barefoot, which is illegal in Britain. Barefoot car driving is legal in America.

However, driving with your toes can be equally dangerous, said Fix.

No similar survey has been done in America, but the same dangers present themselves.

“Flip flops are worse than heels in my opinion,” says Matt Reilly, director of the U.S. based charity B.R.A.K.E.S, which stands for Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe.

Reilly is also a driving instructor for the organization, which teaches teens how to stay safe behind the wheel.

The reason high heels present a problem is that a good driver plants his or her heel on the car’s floor, Reilly explained. That makes it easy to move their foot from the gas to the brake. High heels make that nearly impossible.

Furthermore, some shoes may not provide a solid position on the pedal. Heels and flip flops also can get jammed under or against a pedal or require a person to lift their foot off the floor to press a pedal down.

“Sometimes you only have a split second to react,” Reilly says. “You put yourself at a great disadvantage if you’re not wearing the right shoes.”

So what’s the best foot gear for either sex? Reilly says that a comfortable flat, rubber soled shoe should do just the trick. It allows for the easy movement and a solid grip on the pedal.

originally posted at http://autos.aol.com/article/driving-with-high-heels/

Need  auto insurance and would like a fee quote, contact Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

Car Insurance Quotes in Indiana Pa

Car Insurance quotes can be very confusing, buyers have to compare premiums, deductibles and coverage to choose the best policy. Doing some background work like checking your driving record can also ensure a quote that best fits your needs. All this work may seem useless but it will save drivers a lot of money if an accident occurs.

To receive an accurate rate, drivers must know what is on their driving record. This is accomplished with a simple trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles, they will happily provide you with a list of any violations against your license. Inaccurate violations can cost drivers a lot of money on their yearly premiums.

When shopping for insurance it is also important to know your discounts.  All companies offer a wide variety of discounts from anti lock brakes to anti theft systems. While not technically part of a car insurance policy, asking about bundling different policies is another way to get a great quote.  All of the policies bundled together could lead to some serious savings.

Talking to agents from multiple companies is a great way to get quotes. They can answer questions and help you tailor the policy to fit your specific needs. By speaking to a live person shoppers are also less likely to make mistakes on the online system that could cost them money.

Make sure when comparing quotes you are really comparing the same thing. Be sure coverage between the policies carry the same liabilities and deductibles as your current policy. Just comparing pricing alone could mean huge payouts in the event of an accident. Agents can assist drivers in understanding the quotes offered to them.

Each state in the US has minimum insurance requirements that must be met. Drivers must remember that the state their car is registered in is the state they must abide my the rules in even if they are driving the car in a different state. If setting up your own policy online be sure you meet the minimum requirements of the state or it could mean suspension of your license and huge fines.

The last and most important consideration is the level of coverage you will need. Consulting a qualified agent is best when trying to determine this. Th first consideration is the deductible, how much can you easily pay if in an accident. Having too high of a deductible will mean a lot of money coming out of your pocket for repairs. For those with car loans, consider whether or not your coverage will pay for the balance of that loan. No one wants to make payments on a totaled car. The final thing to consider is the liability insurance, is it enough to cover damages caused to others. Too low coverage could lead to lawsuits against you for damages.

No one enjoys the task of getting car insurance quotes, it is a necessary and thankless job. But asking the right questions, carefully comparing quotes and understanding how much coverage you need will keep you from paying more in the long run. Happy quote hunting!

If your in the market for  auto insurance and would like a fee quote, contact Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

Get A Quote For Your Car Insurance in Indiana PA

Month after month, the Ford F-series and Chevrolet Silverado pickups led the American auto industry’s top 10 best sellers list.

F-series is still in the lead, but now there’s a car in the second-place spot: the Toyota Camry. A car also holds third place: the Nissan Altima. This year,  Silverado doesn’t appear until fourth place, according to sales statistics compiled by Autodata, Inc.

In fact, the top-10 list is overwhelmingly dominated by cars, even more than at the end of 2011. Last year, there were six cars and four pickups and SUVs among the best-selling vehicles.

This year, there are seven cars, the two pickups, and one small SUV, the Honda CR-V, which is actually based on the Civic compact. The Dodge Ram pickup, which used to rank in the top-10, was bumped to 11th place during March.

The shift to cars from trucks has been underway since gasoline prices spiked in 2008, but it’s accelerated anew in recent months, thanks to rising gasoline prices.

New models also have a lot to do with who ranks among the top-10 best sellers. Toyota completely redesigned the Camry last fall to warm reviews. Although it’s been the best-selling car in the United States for most of the past 15 years, Camry usually lagged behind the two pickups. But, now the seventh-generation Camry has a chance to move up on the list.

Prius zoomed up the top-10 list in March, thanks to its new family of models. Prius, which ranked as the 15th-best seller in December, ranked as No. 6 in March. To be sure, Prius sales always rise along with gasoline prices, which means the Toyota hybrid is likely to stay among the top 10 as prices continue to go up this spring.

Conversely, the Altima is selling strongly even though it will soon be replaced. Nissan unveiledthe 2013 version of the Altima at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, part of a 15-month drive of new products.

Other cars on the list include a pair of Fords — the Fusion and Focus — as well as the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic, which are perennial best-sellers, even though their sales fell last month compared with 2012.

How important is your car to you? Our Changing Gears public media project is asking people about the cars in their lives. Take our survey here.

article credit:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2012/04/06/cars-pushing-trucks-aside-in-american-sales/

To get a free auto insurance quote, contact Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

Are You In Desperate Need of Home Insurance?

Do you need to get a policy in place so that you can purchase the Indiana Pa home of your dreams?  Then you will want to obtain an instant home insurance quote so that you can move forward in the buying process as quickly as possible. It may have been difficult to get an instant insurance quote in the past, but in todays world this is more than possible. In fact, you should be able to get the quote that you need right away without much hassle at all.

There are two ways that you can get an instant home insurance quote. You will want to look into both options so that you get the quote that is best for your needs. Remember, just because you are going to get a home insurance quote does not mean that you should necessarily buy the policy right away. If you do this you may end up getting a policy, but at the same time you could end up spending more money than you have to.

Get A Home Insurance Quote Over the Internet

For most people the easiest way to get an instant home insurance quote is via the internet.  If you have access to the internet for only a few minutes you should be able to get several quotes. You can get an instant home insurance quote direct from an insurance companies website, or you can work with a third party provider that can give you quotes from different companies. Either way works, just make sure that you are getting accurate quotes that you can move forward on if you desire.

Another way to get an insurance quote is to call an insurance company. All you have to do is ask to speak with an agent, and then explain what you are looking for. Chances are that they will be able to give you an instant insurance quote right then and there.

Another way to get cheap home insurance is to adjust your policy a bit. For instance, you can lower your premium by increasing your deductible. Sure, this means that you will have to pay more if you file a claim, but until then you will be saving plenty of money.

If you need a new home insurance policy or just would like to review your current homeowner’s insurance policy, give Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA a call at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

Have you thought about replacement costs? Sewage backup? There’s more to coverage than meets the eye.

Getting enough insurance coverage for your home is the only way to protect your most valuable asset. In today’s tips we’re going to tell you what you need to know BEFORE a storm strikes.

Get the bottom line

A lot of people have what’s called cash value insurance. That means that if you have a loss, you may not get the money that you need to fix your house or buy new furniture.

This policy means your insurer is going to give you something less than what you paid to buy the content in the first place because they take depreciation into account. Depreciation is the amount of money that they say makes up for the wear and tear.

If you want the full value of what it would cost to replace your items, you’ll need replacement cost insurance. It’s priced at about 10 percent more.

Account for shortfalls

Nearly 2/3rds of homes are insured for less than their value. Don’t get caught shorthanded. With construction and material costs up about 8% since last year, you’ll want to factor in these rising inflation costs. Make sure your insurance policy has an inflation guard. This way the value of your home will be adjusted to account for these rising prices. And if you’ve made any improvements to your home, be sure to tell your insurance company. Whenever you add value to your home, you’ll want your insurance to reflect that.

Prepare for water hazards

If you live in a flood zone, getting flood insurance is a no-brainer. For the rest of us, it’s still a good idea considering that homeowners are 26 times more likely to get hit with a flood rather than a fire.

But flooding isn’t the only wet situation you’ll want to protect yourself against. Backups of raw sewage through the drains in your home can be a very costly – and disgusting – problem. Homeowners policies don’t cover sewage backup. You can buy extra insurance for sewage backup from your insurance company. The cost is about $40-$50 a year.

Cover your codes

If you live in an older home or in an area that has an older infrastructure or your community is prone to disasters, you may want to consider insurance that will cover the cost of rebuilding your home to meet building code upgrades and construction regulations. It’s called purchase ordinance and law coverage.

Get the lowdown on your living expenses

If your home is damaged to the point where you can’t live there for a while, your insurance should pay for your hotel room and meals. If you live in an area that has seen widespread devastation, like New Orleans, it could take quite a few months or even years before you can return to your house.

You want to get all the details about this living expenses provision. Some policies may cover expenses only for six months. Other policies will cover expenses up to about 20% of the insurance on your house. In most cases, you can increase this coverage for an additional premium.

If you need a new homeowner’s insurance policy or just would like to review your current homeowner’s insurance policy, give Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA a call at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

article credit: By Gerri Willis, CNNMoney.com contributing columnist – http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/14/pf/saving/willis/index.htm?iid=SF_PF_River

The late-model Cadillac SRX edges onto the track at the General Motors proving grounds. We build speed, following a low-slung sedan in front which acts as our pace car. We change lanes. The sedan cuts in front. Our SRX maintains distance and speed appropriately. At no time do we touch the brakes or the throttle, and only briefly do we need to turn the steering wheel.

It’s semiautonomous driving. And on this crisp spring morning, it’s reality. Not in a production car, but it’s headed that way, GM engineers say, perhaps by the end of the decade.

This particular system is dubbed “super cruise control” by the gearheads behind the project, though they admit that the marketeers likely will have other, catchier names. We’re sampling a so-called learning vehicle, which is where GM hooks up its latest technology to production cars to test the validity and, in general, learn how the cars work. There are just two of these prototypes in existence, though more likely will be built this year.

Despite a touch of apprehension, “super cruise” works fine. It’s as easy as pushing a few buttons and letting the car take over. Frankly, it’s more complicated to decipher some nav systems than it is to make this SRX drive itself.

Here’s what happens. We get behind the wheel and accelerate to about 60 mph. Then we engage the feature by pushing a button on the left side of the steering wheel. That’s essentially normal cruise control. Then there’s another button on the right side that when pressed, activates the steering element. It’s based on GPS data, so right now GM is simply programming a car to drive in circles on its property.

But the system works. Easily. We’re clipping along at expressway speeds while I have my hands folded in my lap. We turn. The steering wheel lights up green when it’s driving and turns blue when the driver needs to take control. He or she can override this auto-pilot feature of sorts at any time.

I was shocked by how relaxed I became as this luxury machine navigated a test oval a Milford. This is where GM flogs all kinds of performance machines, and I was doing it with no hands.

“I like to think of it as cruise control for the steering,” GM active safety program manager Eric Raphael told us as we sat next to the loop.

The system also features elements that allow the driver to modify lane position—essentially centering the vehicle—by elbowing the seat bolsters.

Ultimately in production, the super cruise likely will be set at the touch of a single button.

If your in the market for  auto insurance and would like a fee quote, contact Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.

Be Safe, Be Smart On A Long-Distance Road Trip

Whether you’re traveling alone in Indiana Pa, with a buddy or with your spouse and a car full of kids, there are few things more “American” than the long-distance road trip. Countless vacation travelers will drive the highways looking for fun and making memories with every mile. If traveling down the “holiday road” is in your plans, take the time to prepare for your trip. You’ll have a more enjoyable vacation if you plan carefully. Here are a few driving tips, courtesy of Walbeck Insurance in Indiana Pa.

1) Maintain your car. Make sure your vehicle is up to date on its maintenance schedule, and be sure to check the battery and tires.

2) Plan your trip and know where you’re going. Call ahead for proper and safe directions to get you to your destination safely and have maps of the area on hand to help you navigate once you are off the main road. You’re more likely to make good decisions, even in dangerous situations, if you’re clearheaded and know where you’re going.

3) Be alert. Seems obvious, but driver inattention is surely the cause of a lot of accidents. If you stay focused behind the wheel and plan carefully, you will have a wonderful summer road trip.

4) Take precaution with a cell phone. Cell phones can be a lifesaver when you need immediate access to emergency services after an accident. Keep your phone within easy reach and get to know its features. However, use it prudently. Reports suggest that driving while talking on the phone increases accident rates.

5) Wear your seat belt. Whether or not it’s required by law in the state through which you’re driving, always wear your seat belt as a safety precaution.

6) Protect your car against theft. Help deter criminals from taking your car with steering wheel locks, switches that disable fuel or ignition systems, and electronic tracking devices.

7) If you’re in an accident. Taking immediate steps if you’ve been in an accident can protect your family and your car from further damage. Stop immediately and make sure your car is not blocking traffic. Turn off your car to keep it from overheating or catching fire. Warn oncoming cars using road flares or orange triangle reflectors. After you have protected yourself and your family, call your insurance company immediately.

Make sure your auto insurance is up to date. Before you even leave the driveway, you want to be sure you’re protected when you’re on the road and far from home. An independent insurance agent or broker can provide the personal service and advice you need to travel in confidence.

To get a free auto insurance quote, contact Walbeck Insurance Agency in Indiana, PA at 724-479-9378 or visit www.walbeckinsurance.com.