Recognizing and Understanding Accident Fraud

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In a perfect world accident fraud would not be an issue. Those that were involved in accidents would be truthful and provide accurate information that detailed the accident. There would also be far fewer people staging accidents in an attempt to siphon money the insurance policies of other drivers. The best way to avoid this type of fraud is to first understand what insurance fraud is and how to recognize it.

There are a few different factors that will help you point out accident fraud. The first is those drivers that claim injuries that are far more serious than the accident that occurred could have caused. This could be things like severe whiplash, not being able to walk, serious injury that requires large amounts of pain medication, and other similar injuries. Luckily, most insurance companies will not pay out on claims without medical record of the injuries but if you are involved in a fender bender and the other party immediately starts acting injured, you may be part of a fraud in progress.

Another indicator is that you have no real idea how the accident happened. A good example of this is if you are driving and all of a sudden you have rear ended the car in front of you without any real indication of how it happened. Drivers that take part in fraud generally target inattentive drivers or those that are looking down or away from the road. They also tend to target those drivers that are driving cars nicer than their own.

The last indicator you want to look for are those drivers that are involved in an accident with you but are reluctant to pass out their own insurance information. With any accident your insurance company like the Saucon Insurance Agency will walk you through the claims process and help you sniff out fraud.

How to Spread Some Cheer Through a Local Charity in Northampton County, PA

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At Saucon Insurance Agency, we feel it is important to give back and do your part in helping the community. We routinely do so within our own community and many of yours. We ask that you do the same. Often times, our local clients and customers want to do something for the community but they do not know where to go, who to help, or how their time and talent can be useful. Here are a few Northampton County, PA charities that would be happy to help you.

Help Local Families

Northampton Catholic Charities is one organization that provides social services to the community and routinely needs donations as well as financial support. You may be able to give some of your time to help an organization like this to make a difference in the lives of those in the community.

Support an Animal

Another organization that needs additional support is the Northampton County SPCA. There are many reasons to put time into these locations even if you do not want to take an animal home with you. This organization needs donations of materials and support as well as volunteers to help them in their local work.

In addition to these organizations, there are many more options to think about supporting. This includes libraries, local churches, and food pantries. Take a few minutes to take the time to find a way to give back in your own method. There is much work to do today.

Finding a way to give back is important to all businesses and individuals, including those at Saucon Insurance Agency. No matter what you do, make sure you are insured by contacting our team for a quote on any insurance you need.

 

House-Sitting? It’s Really Not the Time to Throw a Party

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When you’re house sitting in Bethlehem, PA, you want to make sure you’re taking good care of the house you’ve been asked to watch over. That way, you may be asked to sit again in the future, and other people in the area may ask you for your services, too. Much like a babysitter or a pet sitter, house sitting gives you a lot of responsibility, and how well you do is going to spread around your community by word of mouth. You want the words said about you to be good ones, which means it’s not the time to throw a party.

Sure, it’s tempting. That’s especially true if it’s a big house or if the owners are wealthy. They may have a pool or a lot of other amenities that are of great interest. You may have a lot of friends who want to come see you, and who want to make your stay in the house less lonely and more enjoyable. Still, just say no. Having a party in someone else’s home not only violates the owner’s trust in you, but it could do some damage that would be difficult to explain and even harder to repair. You don’t want that to happen, as you could be held responsible for the damages, and that could get expensive.

The chances are high that the home is insured, but insurance is supposed to be used for events that are out of your control, and choosing to have a party doesn’t fall into that category. Don’t make the homeowners you house sit for have to use their policy due to the damage you’ve caused. As for the homeowners’ insurance itself, talking with Saucon Insurance Agency is an excellent way to get the coverage you need and the personalized service you deserve, no matter what you might need it for.

Replace These Car Parts for Better Gas Mileage

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Even though the price of gas is decreasing, no one wants to spend more than they have to. Unfortunately, if your car is in need of repairs, it may be using more gas. Here are three car parts you can replace to increase your gas mileage and decrease the amount you spend on gas.

Oxygen Sensor

If you are looking to cut back on the amount of gas your car uses, you should have the oxygen sensor replaced. This is a part that needs to be replaced every 100,000 or when it is bad. This part monitors exhaust flows and when faulty, sends the wrong data to the engine. This releases an incorrect fuel injection level, which can cause more gas to be used.

Spark Plugs

Another way to save on the amount of gas your car uses is to change the spark plugs. Spark plugs should be changed every 30,000 miles. These plugs ignite the air/fuel mixture in the engine combustion chamber. If the plugs are old, this process is not done efficiently. This can lead to more gas being used and more strain being placed on your engine. Replacing the spark plugs allows the engine to run cleaner and the car to use less gas.

Air Filter

The last way to cut back on the amount of gas your car uses is to replace the air filter. This should be replaced every 10,000 to 30,000 miles, based on your driving conditions and the manufacturer’s recommendation. Dirty air filters are the number one cause of increased gas usage, so replacing yours as recommended can cut back on that.

Replacing these three parts will help your car get better gas mileage and help you save on gas expenses. Another way to save on expenses is to make sure you aren’t paying more for auto insurance than you need to be. Contact Saucon Insurance Agency to learn how we can help you reduce your current auto insurance policy to help you save money.

High Performance Engines Run Better on Premium Gas

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High-performance engines run better on premium gasoline because of the higher compression, turbo charging, and other performance enhancements. If your automobile is equipped with a high-performance engine and you do not use premium fuel, when the manufacturer specifies it, you may harm the engine. Additionally, the performance suffers, and you will not be getting the benefits of the higher levels of performance that the engine design is capable of producing.

Octane Rating
Premium gasoline has a higher octane rating than regular gas. Usually, the octane rating of premium is 90 to 93. Regular gasoline has the octane rating of 87. Some petroleum companies offer a mid-range gasoline with the octane rating of 89. The number of the octane rating for the different fuels offered at a service station shows on the fuel pump under the meter for each type.

The “Gunk” in Lower Quality Fuel
Lower quality gasoline creates more plaque build-up from gasoline deposits. This “gunk” fouls the fuel injectors and sometimes makes valves stuck. Special detergents added to fuel decrease this problem. Premium gas has better quality detergents and therefore lower plaque build-up than regular gasoline.

Less Engine Ping
Premium gasoline is also less likely to cause an engine pinging sound or a knocking sound. These sounds come from the premature combustion of the fuel/air mixture before entering the piston chamber, where it is supposed to ignite from the spark. Severe knocking can seriously damage an engine.

Misconceptions
Higher-octane premium gas is not more powerful that regular gas. The properties that make premium fuel special are a higher ignition temperature and a slower burning rate. High-performance engines maximize the benefits achievable from these differences.

Keep Insurance Up-to-Date
The agents at Saucon Insurance Agency know how proud you must be of your luxury automobile or sports car that has a high-performance engine. Be sure to have adequate automobile insurance coverage for the possibility of damage to the vehicle. Make sure the insurance is enough to cover the cost of standard repairs and also any special repairs needed for custom work done to the vehicle.

Hopefully, you will avoid having an accident. However, if something unfortunate should happen, you will be confident that the proper auto insurance is in place to cover the damages, when you work with the experts at Saucon Insurance Agency to review, renew, or obtain new automobile insurance.

Contact us today or visit the Saucon Insurance Agency website to request a quote.

Writer to Provide Title + Slug

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Day to day business of any company comes with its fair share of liability. So what is liability in terms of small business you might ask? This can include things like injury to customers or employees, libel, slander, and much more. How do small businesses handle it?

In most cases, small businesses are going to work to create a business plan and practices that mitigate and plan for this type of issue on a daily basis. Business owners will provide safe environments for customers and for employees making sure they take the time to truly watch out for the safety for their patrons and employees.

The human resources department of any small business will also work to mitigate and cover issues before they go full scale and go public and potentially ruin a business. The other method for coverage is to take out a commercial insurance policy that covers your liability from day to day.

This will offer coverage for things like injury and for legal costs in the case of slander and other issues. In general, this type of policy is a blanket that will help to protect owners from a wide range of issues that are going to pop up from time to time. There is no way to avoid liability for any size business all together but having a great policy in place can help to cover the damages if you do find yourself in a situation where everyday liability is in question.

For those in the Northampton County, PA area, Saucon Insurance Agency can help pair you up with a policy that is going to cover your needs and make every day functioning much safer for the business owner and those that frequent the business.

Notice A Car Accident? What You Can Do To Help

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When you’re driving in Pennsylvania, you could easily see an accident happen right in front of you. There’s a lot you can do help. The more you know, the more helpful you can be. What you do at the scene could be what saves the lives of the victims.

Call 911

Many people don’t call when they should because they think someone else has already made the call. The operator will ask you about location, number of cars, and other details. You may also be asked to stay on the line until help has arrived.

Move Your Car

You don’t want to be in the way of first responders, or oncoming traffic. Plan on being at least 100 feet away from the accident, and off to the side of the road.

Talk to the Victims

Go over to the cars, if it is safe to do so, and talk to the victims. Let them know that help is on the way and ask how they are doing. They may be in shock, so be patient with them. If they can safely get out of the car, help them. Otherwise, wait for help to arrive.

Turn Cars Off

Many times, cars are still in drive when there is an accident. Be sure to get them into park and then turn the key so the ignitions shut off. This can prevent a fire as well as the car moving forward, causing any further damage.

Wait for Help

You called 911, so now you have to be patient and wait. Once help comes, you will likely be asked for a statement.

Call now and talk to our agents at Saucon Insurance Agency to learn more about car insurance in Northampton County. We work with some of the best insurance companies in PA to give you a great deal.

 

Why Customers Prefer To Work With Independent Insurance Agents

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If you are thinking about how to get the best insurance possible. This can provide you with a significant amount of peace of mind. You could search online and work with insurance companies independently, though it is much easier to work with independent insurance agents.

Insurance agents are extremely knowledgeable about the industry. They are often ahead of trends, and are extremely loyal to the community. They work with some of the top insurance companies throughout Pennsylvania and know which ones are going to provide the best levels of coverage and have the most affordable premiums.

Customers continue to work with independent insurance agents because it is more convenient. It’s easier to speak with an agent and discuss what kind of coverage is needed and what budget is available. The agent can then begin searching through the different companies and provide recommendations as to what policies are going to be the best. Quotes can be obtained, making it easier to compare.

Your time should be worth something. You may not have the time to browse through 4 to 5 different insurance companies and get quotes. They may be showing you policies that you don’t actually need. Many times, insurance companies are focused on their bottom line, not the individual. This is the opposite for an independent insurance agent. The goal of an independent insurance agent is to help you find a policy that you can rely on.

Surveys have spoken. Customers prefer to work with independent agents as opposed to insurance companies over the Internet because they like the personal touch. They want to know that they are getting something specific to them, and that is why agents will never go out of business.

Start working with independent insurance agents today by calling us at Saucon Insurance Agency. We look forward to helping you with all of your insurance needs in Bethlehem.

 

 

 

Tis the Season for Giving Cars

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It might seem like a nice gesture giving the gift of a car, especially if the person is in need of a vehicle. However, it’s providing a person with more than just transportation. You’re giving them a financial responsibility and so much more. 

Insurance

When you give someone a gift of a vehicle, it requires insurance. The minimum coverage by law varies from state to state. You should contact an insurance agent in Bethlehem, PA for a quote prior to purchasing the present. You’ll need to take into consideration if the person is able to pay the premium once he or she has the car in his or her possession. Even if you supply a policy for a short period of time, you need to make sure the person will be able to pay for it afterwards. You don’t want to give the gift of a burden and have the giftee feel bad because he or she can’t afford to keep the automobile. 

Taxes

Depending on your state’s laws, the person you give the car to may be responsible for paying taxes on it. This could also be a problem if the person isn’t able to come up with the money. You don’t want to give them a gift that’s more of an issue than a present. 

Paperwork

Before you can give the person the vehicle, the title must be registered. That means you may have to put it in your name first and then transfer it. 

Prior to making any decisions, you should contact an agent at Saucon Insurance Agency at 610-868-1800. An agent will be able to discuss with you insurance requirements, so you can make the decision if a vehicle is the right gift to give this season. 

 

Don’t Fall For Top Life Insurance Myths In Bethlehem, PA

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You want to get a good life insurance policy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This means you need to know all about the top myths so that you can make well-informed decisions. You don’t want to fall for any of the misconceptions regarding life insurance.

Everyone Needs Life Insurance

Somewhere along the line a myth developed that life insurance is only for people who are retired. Everyone needs a life insurance policy because there are no guarantees as to when your time is up. Having a policy, even in your 30s and 40s, can pay off, particularly if you do pass before your time.

Those in Poor Health Can be Covered

One myth is that you cannot get life insurance coverage if you are in poor health. This is not accurate. You can find companies that will issue you a policy, though it may be more expensive and be limited in coverage. However, it can still be obtained, regardless of what your health conditions are.

Comparisons Will Get the Best Premiums

Another myth is that the only way to get the best premium is to shop online. The truth is that you need to make comparisons from multiple insurance companies in order to ensure that you are truly getting the best price based upon your individual needs and situation.

Term is Just One of the Options

There is a myth out there that term life insurance should be the only type of policy purchased – and the remaining amount of money should be invested. Whole and universal life insurance can provide a cash value and therefore it is another option that you need to consider, especially if your budget allows.

At Saucon Insurance Agency, our knowledgeable insurance agents can help you find a life insurance policy that works best for you and your budget. Call today and learn more about how we can offer assistance.