Who can resist a puppy?...Nevermind a puppy with an adorable face and a shiny bow!!!

A puppy for Christmas may seem like a great idea, but there's a detail to remember:

Owning a pet may increase your liability.

Although all pets present possible risk, some breeds are considered higher risk, such as: Pitt Bulls (American Pitt Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and American Stafforshire Terrier), Chows, Rottweillers, Presa Canarios, Akitas, wolf-hybrids, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, American Bull Dogs.

Here are some factors that underwriters may consider:

The Gender and Age of the animal.

Has the dog been obedience trained?

Is the dog restrained or fenced in?

What is the temperament of the dog?

Has the dog been spayed or neutered?

Have there been any previous incidents with the dog?

Did you know: Certain insurance companies find certain species unacceptable and chose not to insure them.

Just remember that this.....

Could easily turn into this....

This is a just a short list of possible risks specifically focusing on dogs...all pet species have possible risks that you should consider. Risks involving dogs are the most common.

This is a great time of year to review your insurance and liability limits. You may want to consider raising your liability limits or purchasing an umbrella policy.

As always, Podmaska Insurance Agency is here to help! Give us a call for a free QUOTE and evaluation of your present policy.

*no dogs or people were injured while photographing for this blog entry

I'm not sure if it's because I'm a Daddy's girl or if it's because my Dad has always been my insurance agent, but the first thing I've done every time a fender bender occurs is get him on the phone...Here's what I've learned from my Dad (who, by the way, works here at Podmaska Insurance).

1. Make sure everyone is uninjured. Physical safety is the absolute most important thing! If everyone is safe, move on to number 2.

2. Remain calm. Adrenalinie rushes can ignite anger and anger always tend to escalate the circumstance.

3.. It's advised by police to move your vehicle to the side of the road if you are obstructing traffic.

4. Stay on the scene until police arrive and ALWAYS make sure the police fills out a report from your perspective.

5. Never admit fault!

6. Keep a copy of your insurance card, registration and a disposable camera in your glove compartment. If you don't have a disposable camera, you're likely to at least have a camera on your phone. Have accident scene photos could be major evidence in your defense.

7. Exchange contact information and insurance information.

8. Call your agent and submit the claim!! Also, confirm your coverages and how you're protected.

9. Get a copy of the police report.

Now, go check your glove compartment and make sure it's well-stocked with your insurance identification card and a disposable camera!

Here's just a few ways of saving money on your car insurance you might take into consideration:

1. The obvious factor would be to drive safely! Accident claims and moving violations have a tendency of skyrocketing rates. Of course, an accident is an ACCIDENT...and you wouldn't do it on purpose; but take extra precaution, and at least you'll know you did everything within your power to prevent an unfortunate event.

2. Maintain a great credit score. What you might not know is that many preferred companies put Insured's into credit tiers. Preferred companies look for consumers that are financially responsible because they are least likely to cancel for non-payment. They often offer better rates!!

3. Package your home/renters with your auto policy!!! Many companies offer companion discounts for linking several policies together!!

4. If your purchasing a new vehicle with a loan, make sure you are aware of any guidelines the lienholder expects you to maintain as far as coverages. Most lienholders prefer you to have full coverage with a $500 or $1000 deductible. There are many dealerships that offering financing without these stipulations. Make sure you shop around!!

5. Be aware of how the vehicles are assigned to drivers on your policy. If you are assigned to a 98 Toyota with liability only, it wouldn't make sense for your newly licensed teenager to be assigned to a 2010 Mustang with full coverage (unless required by specific company).

PODMASKA INSURANCE AGENCY is an independent agency! What this means is that we have A LOT of preferred companies that we issue business through. We have excellent relationships with these companies. AND we do all the shopping around for you!!!! Whether it's auto, home, renter, umbrella, life, commercial....we know what you need to be well covered. GIVE US A CALL TODAY!!

Oooh...as the temperature changes, we're reminded that the holidays are just around the corner. A fireplace adds an incredible ambiance when the family is all gathered for Christmas. Picture this: christmas tree with twinkling lights, Mom's signature holiday foods, children laughing, out-of-town guests...then all of a sudden-screaming! THE CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS THAT WERE HUNG ON THE FIREPLACE MANTEL CAUGHT ON FIRE! AH!

OK, so maybe it's not "likely" that this will happen to you but let me continue this lighthearted warning.

Protecting your home and looking for possible problem areas in advance is just as important as protecting your home with insurance.

Check out some of these characteristics of your fireplace:

Has your fireplace ever been moved? Check for cracking,settlement or separation from builing. Besides collapse, sparks could fly into cracked areas and cause a fire.

You could use a support to solve a settling/sagging hearth. A gap appearing between the hearth and the edge of the firebox might be due to inadequate hearth support - not such an ugly repair - or it might be due to settlement of the entire chimney and fire chamber away from the building - a major repair and a dangerous condition.

Check out size requirements and materials. A fireplace hearth should extend at least 16" past the front edge of the fireplace and at least 8" beyond each side of the fireplace opening.

Where the fireplace opening is 6 sq.ft. or bigger the front extension needs to be increased to at least 20" and the side extensions to at least 12" beyond the fireplace front.

The hearth for a masonry fireplace needs to be made of a brick, concrete, stone, or other (approved, listed) non-combustible material. The hearth slab needs to be at least 4" in thickness, it has to be supported by noncombustible materials or able to carry its own weight.

Check out safe distance from furniture and combustible flooring such as carpet.

Never use a fireplace if there is any doubt in it's safety. If there is any doubt, check with a professional inspector and quickly solve any problems. Do not use any fix-it-yourself remedies as they may be hazardous.

Take care, readers!

Call Podmaska Insurance Agency today!!!

So, it's embarrassing to admit that my husband and I had a little dispute last night about what Liability for Property Damage actually covers last night. It's only embarrassing because...well, I'm the one that works in the insurance industry, and despite that...I was the one that ended up being wrong.

Regardless of who was right and who was wrong, I have all my facts together now and thought I'd share "Insurance 101" with you so that you are all aware of the coverage you're really getting.

Here's the breakdown:

Liability for Bodily Injury: This covers any damages that you, or a person you gave permission to drive your vehicle, caused by an accident on another person. This is obviously a very important coverage seeing as medical expenses can be quite costly! Make sure you are well covered!

Liability for Property Damage: This covers any damages that you, or a person you gave permission to drive your vehicle, caused by an accident on any property. This includes other vehicles, fences, businesses, walls, homes, poles etc....anything that your vehicle can come in contact with.

Medical Payments: This is coverage that pays for medical expenses when you are injured driving your vehicle or as a passenger in your own vehicle. Different from liability for Bodily Injury, this covers YOUR medical expenses while bodily injury covers the other party involved when you're liable.

Collision: This covers your vehicle when damaged in an accident, whether it's a single car accident or multiple. It will replace the value of the vehicle minus the deductible if the car is totalled. Deductibles range from 250 to 2500. Talk to your insurance agent to discuss the right deductible for you since it affects your yearly premium, but also your out-of-pocket expenses if an accident was to occur.

Comprehensive: This covers any damage other than collision including theft, vandalism, fire, hail, hurricanes, flooding etc. This coverage also has a deductible.

Uninsured Bodily Injury and Property Damage: These coverages cover you if you were involved in an accident and the other party was not insured. Although there is a state minimum limit for liability in RI, many people on the roads are still uninsured or even underinsured!

Underinsured Motorist coverage would cover you when the other party is at fault but the medical expenses and/or property damage exceeds the amount that he's insured for.

There are also other coverages such as Towing and Rental which would help out with the expense of having your car towed from an accident site or with having to rent a car if your vehicle is totalled. These coverages usually has a maximum that it will cover. For instance, a max of 40 days or $1200 for Rental, or $75 for Towing.

So, hopefully this was an enlightening lesson for you! As enlightening as insurance can be, I guess! And maybe I've cleared up someone else's marital disputes about whether or not you should remove comprehensive and collision from your ten year old vehicle.

Have a nice day everyone and contact PODMASKA INSURANCE AGENCY for all your insurance needs ranging from HOME, AUTO, BUSINESS, RENTERS, UMBRELLA, MOTORCYLE, LIFE and MORE!

WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED!

Call for a quote today!

It's worth the 30 seconds of careful thinking.

I got an email yesterday about possibly new gang initiation tactics. You hear about these every once in a while. When I was a teen, people use to warn you not to blink your lights to remind another driver to turn on his headlights because supposed gang members would chase down and eventually kill the first person who did so.  However untrue that may have been, to this day, I think about that when I see a car with no lights on and I instantaneously get creaped out.

This email that has been forwarded to numerous recipients, alerts people that a new gang tactic is to place a baby car seat on the side of the road with a doll dressed up as a baby, maybe even making it look like it is injured. What woman wouldn't want to rescue an abandoned or injured infant?! The car seat is usually placed on the side of the road where a woman can be dragged into a wooded or tall, grassy area. Suspicious sightings such as this should be immediately reported to 9-1-1. You'll be just as much a hero by making a phone call to rescue a child than if you got out of the car and unintentionally risked your own life.

The second tactic shared in this email warned people not to use windshield wipers if eggs were thrown at the windshield. The windshield wipers can't clear the eggs and if you spray water on it, it would turn the eggs into an opague paste. You'd have to pull over, making yourself susceptible to robbery and other heinous criminal possibilities.

I've researched this on snopes.com and it's been proven to be false. However, I think that these would be really good tactics to put you in a vulnerable position. Even if it's false and there have been no reported cases of such instances, it's a good reminder to BE SMART; BE SAFE...and if you're ever in doubt, call your local police station.

As always, Podmaska Insurance Agency wants you to be SAFE!

SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE! The OFFICIAL first day of summer was last Monday and I've been craving the beach ever since! Thankfully, there are other options for cooling down from the heat when I can't schedule a 45 minute trek to Scarborough Beach--the pool!

The pool has been a great form of relaxation, exercise and social entertainment for a long time...it's somewhat of an icon for summer fun.

As always, Podmaska Insurance wants to keep you informed of ways to keep you and your family as safe as possible. Here are a few tips for pool safety this season:

1. Fence your pool in. Keeping your pool area separate from the house and play areas of your yard will decrease the risk of drowning immensly! Most drowing incidents happen because a child wanders into the pool...FENCE it in! Better to be safe!

2. Keep the fenced area secure. Place the lock at a higher height than can be reached by your child.

3. Keep all toys out of the pool after swimming. Taking a second to clean up will reduce the temptation for your child to reach in and grab any left behind floaters.

4. Always, Always, Always watch your child. Supervision is key, but does not guarantee your child's safety. Many drownings happen while the child is being supervised but the parent or babysitter is temporarily distracted. Reduce your distractions. Keep a phone near the pool so that you don't need to leave the poolside for any reason. It's also a good idea to have in case of an emergency. Forget about the chores and use this time to spend some quality time with your child.

5. Use the proper gear. Inflatables are not a good alternative to life vests. An inflatable device could easily deflate or float out of reach.

It's scary to think of enjoying pool time as something "life or death" but it really is!! Do not compromise with pool safety! Don't give in to your children when they are pulling at your leg to go outside and swim in the pool and you have a million things to do. Also, it's a great idea to get CPR certified. (Here's a link for all of you Rhode Islanders if interested.) It's always better to be safe!

These are primarily tips for your young child's safety but here's one for your teenager:

DON'T DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR'S POOL! Just don't do it! It's not a good idea!

If you have any questions regarding how owning a pool affects  your homeowner's insurance, give us a call! We'd be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

It's been a while since we've had a decent hurricane and I feel like we are due.  This month, we crossed the threshold into hurricane season and it will continue until the end of November. I never thought that our small state would have been flooded like it was two months ago. Let's not be naive about the devastating effects a hurricane can have on our local areas. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forcasters say an active to extremely active hurricane season is expected for the Atlantic Basin this year.

According to the NOAA, there is a 70 percent probability of the following ranges:

14 to 23 Named Storms (top winds of 39mph or higher), including:

8 to 14 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which:

3 to 7 could be Major Hurricanes (category 3,4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph)

This exceeds the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

Here are the names for the 2010 Hurricanes and Tropical Storms of the Atlantic Ocean:Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Igor, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Matthew, Nicole, Otto, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tomas, Virginie, Walter

Sidenote: I included those name just in case you are in the process of naming your child...you  may want to reconsider until you know for sure how severe the storm is going to be.

So, what are you going to do in preparation??

I'm not going to tell you to make sure you make it to the grocery store in time to buy milk, eggs and bread (as Rhode Islanders, we are pretty aware of that tidbit of information), but I will urge you to review your family's emergency plans and take steps to protect your home in the event of a serious storm. Review your home insurance policy to see if your home is covered in case of flood (see our latest blogs about flood insurance) and call PODMASKA INSURANCE for a quote to insure your home, business and auto TODAY!

Did you know that the likelihood of getting in a car accident is four times more likely if you are a teenage rather than an adult?? Car accidents are scary and I don't mean to scare you... But, I would like to take some time to briefly state a few tips that can help you or your teenage driver.

GET FAMILIAR WITH ROAD CONDITIONS: Make sure your teen understands how to drive while the roads are wet or icy, what to do when the car skids or hydroplanes, and how to remain safe even while you're sitting still in traffic.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE: It's always a good idea to practice with your teen during light traffic hours. Rotaries, busy intersections, and other high traffic areas can get your teen looking in too many directions. Practice makes safer!

HANG UP THAT PHONE!: No matter what age you are, you are four times more likely to get in an accident while driving if you are talking on the phone. This includes reading and/or sending texts which is illegal in RI. Be safe and wait to talk until the car is in park.

TUNE UPS AND REPAIRS: Teach your teen about changing oil, checking the tires and other regular maintenance. You can be a safe driver, but it doesn't matter if your vehicle isn't safe.

INVEST IN YOUR RESCUE: Certain auto clubs come in handy when you are stuck roadside with a flat tire or no gas.

BUCKLE UP. IT'S THE LAW: "Wearing a seatbelt lowers the risk of serious injury in an accident by 60%. When combined with air bags, the risk is lowered to 85%."

DRIVE SMART AND SAVE: Minor accidents and violations add up and increase premium for every driver but especially an inexperienced driver. Take notice of all stop signs and traffic lights...this will decrease your chance of accidents and violations thereby saving you money on insurance...and that money will come in handy when it's time for college or a wedding!

I hope you found these tips helpful! If you have any questions at all, give us a call at Podmaska Insurance Agency! We'd be happy to help you!!

Something very exciting is happening at Podmaska Insurance Agency!

Here's the scoop:

Prices for gas are going back up, TAXES...well, those are always going up, consumer costs are, of course, going up...

In a world where it seems like the demand for money is high, isn't it nice to know that there are ways for you and your family to SAVE MONEY??

You already need insurance so why not get it at the LOWEST RATE POSSIBLE?!

Our office has relationships with many preferred companies, some of which RECENTLY LOWERED THEIR RATES TO BENEFIT YOUR WALLET!

Maybe it's time to review your options and consider PODMASKA INSURANCE AGENCY, your local agency for all your insurance needs.

Check out our Virtual Insurance Office at www.podmaska.com!

Check us out on facebook!

Call us today for a quote!

Start saving money today!