Why You Need Umbrella Insurance

Posted on by

Consider this – you are only a few years away from being able to finally retire.  You have amassed a nice sized retirement account and you have finally managed to pay off both your home and your car.  Added all together, you might have assets that amount to near a million.  You have done well for yourself.

One day, as you are driving along, you get into an accident.  Thank goodness you aren’t hurt badly and the damage that your vehicle sustained is within the coverage limits of your auto insurance.  However, the other vehicle was carrying execs from a rather large company.  The damage to their vehicle and their bodies is a bit more serious.

The ruling of the court is that you are the responsible party and have to pay for the damages to the other party’s vehicle along with their medical expenses and lost wages.  The total comes to about a million dollars.  Your vehicle insurance will cover around $250,000 but you are left on the hook for the difference. 

If you are like most people, this could financially ruin you. Unless you happen to have an umbrella insurance policy.  This is a type of insurance that will take over when you hit the overage limits of your other insurance policies.  In cases like this, it could handle the balance as well as any legal costs.  This will save you from losing all of your assets, including your retirement, just because of an accident. 

Remember that coverages and policies will vary by state so make sure that you know what you are getting and what it covers.  If you are in the Bethlehem, PA area, come on into Saucon Insurance Agency where are friendly and knowledgeable agents are standing by and ready to assist you.

 

Household Items You Should Recycle

Posted on by

Many people can list the most commonly recycled items in the home. Glass bottles, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard, and paperboard are well known. There are other items that can also be recycled, especially when you are making renovations. Many of the items you no longer use can be recycled or repurposed in a variety of ways.

A good example of recyclable material is the old wiring that is removed when you renovate a room or home. Old wiring contains copper that is easily recycled and will also offer a small payout that will help you recoup some of the cost of the remodel. Metal of any kind can be recycled, and most scrap yards will help you arrange a pickup if you have no way to transport it to the scrap yard.

Sinks, bath tubs, doors, and other large items that are in good condition can be recycled or donated to organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Any item that is removed in one piece and that can be reused is worth recycling. This may seem like a chore, but many companies specialize in the recycling of used home materials. Windows, for example, can be refurbished and turned into picture frames or shadow boxes. The opportunities for many of these items are endless, all you need to do is begin to explore your options.

If you are performing renovations to your home, you may want to upgrade your existing insurance policy or look around for a new one. Saucon Insurance Agency serves Bethlehem, PA and many of the surrounding communities. Agents at the office can help you find the right policy to meet your needs after you have made improvements to your home. Once your home has been renovated, you want to make sure you have the protection you need!

 

Preparedness is Vital in Every Situation

Posted on by

No matter what kind of transportation you are using, you have to prepare for the possibility of an accident. You don’t know that it will happen and maybe it never will, but you want to know that you have taken every precaution possible to keep you as safe as possible. Just in case. Riding a bicycle is a just in case experience to prepare for.

At Saucon Insurance Agency, we have some simple ways to make sure your cycling time is safe include:

  • Always make sure your bicycle has received any necessary maintenance and fits your body appropriately.
  • Make sure you have all needed accessories like helmet, pads, and reflective clothing for night riding.
  • Be predictable to others on the roadways with you by signaling with hands and maintain you lane position until safe to change.
  • Avoid any hazards in the riding area that may cause an accident or disrupt riding.
  • Always check local cycling laws and make sure you are obeying them for your safety and others.

Now that we know some ways to stay safe cycling, have you considered how prepared you are in your vehicle? Here are some quick driver tips when encountering cyclists:

  • Have patience with cyclists on the roadways. Losing patience can cause unsafe situations.
  • Always slow down when approaching cyclists even when they are in a bike lane.
  • Be courteous and avoid yelling or honking at cyclists. This could startle someone and cause an accident.
  • Use extra attentiveness around children on bicycles as they may not yet know all the rules to cycling safety.

We know about cycling safety now, but what about other driving situations? Having sufficient insurance coverage is crucial for preparedness. Do you know if your current insurance policy has all the coverage you need? Are all your bases cover? Call us at Saucon Insurance Agency serving Bethlehem, PA and one of our friendly and knowledgeable agents can help you check for lapses and find the best coverage possible for your needs!

What Happens if I Don’t Have Home Insurance?

Posted on by

In an effort to save money, many homeowners make the mistake of dropping their homeowner’s insurance.  While this may save them a few hundred dollars in the short term, however, it can have disastrous consequences down the road.

During their lifetimes, over half of all homeowner swill have to file a major claim against their insurance company.  Typically, these claims are the result of a disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake, or an accident.  No matter the reason, however, people are typically surprised to see how much damage can be done by just a single incident.

All too often, people assume that in the event of a disaster, they would be able to pay for the damage themselves or rely on a combination of government and charities for assistance.  In fact, only a small fraction of natural disasters qualify for this type of aid, and household accidents rarely do.  Discovering this after a home has been seriously damaged or destroyed, however, often results in the property owner taking on large amounts of debt in order to repair and restore what he or she had.

It’s always a good idea to protect your property and your family from events that could result in the loss of everything you’ve worked for.  Fortunately, there are a lot of options in homeowner’s insurance, practically guaranteeing that you’ll find something that will fit into your budget.

If you’re thinking about getting a new homeowner’’s insurance policy, or if you just need to change your current one to fit into your budget, then call the insurance agents at Saucon Insurance Agency.  They can help you find the coverage that is right for you.

Recognizing and Understanding Accident Fraud

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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.