James just got a part-time job with a new company in Cincinnati that offers rides to patrons for a slightly cheaper fare than typical taxi services.  Patrons simply request a ride through an app on their mobile phone and James arrives to take them to their destination.  James uses his own car to transport the patrons.  With this new job his car became a care for hire.  One evening James had two passengers and was headed from a downtown bar to their home in Mt. Adams, oth...

The topic of this blog, "Observing Safety Vehicle on the Road" was inspired by several recent witnessed events between emergency vehicles and passenger vehicles.  Many readers may think this is common sense when traveling the roadways but we all should be reminded that these laws are in place to save lives.  What if your loved one was in one of those emergency vehicles racing to the hospital?  Or you were killed in a collision with an emergency vehicle?  Lives would be change...

So youre at the checkout, about to click "purchase" on your online order, when a box pops up asking if youd like to pay an extra $70 for an extended warranty. Youre splurging on a brand-new, $600 DSLR camera... so you hesitate. Should you buy the extra insurance? Is the $70 worth it? Probably not, say the experts. Heres why: New products rarely require repairs. According to Consumer Reports, research reveals that most products usually dont break during the two-to-three-year period...

Its going to be a cold week here in Cincinnati, which can only mean one thing: high heating bills. (And snow!) Guess what? You can stay warm and save money!  We have put together a helpful guide that can help you reduce the amount of money you’re spending each month. Here are 5 tips to saving money on your home electricity bill: 1. GET AN ENERGY AUDIT DONE ON YOUR HOME Youve probably gotten energy audit notices from Duke in your mailbox, and tossed them. Dont! A...

If you’ve always dreamed of renting an RV and hitting the open road, we’ve got some important info to share! Whether you want to take the RV around your home state or on a cross-country trip, you’ll need to make sure you’re adequately insured. Here’s some food for thought: 1. Call Your Insurance Agent Talk to your insurance company to find out whether youll be covered while driving the RV. Your regular policy might not cover it, but you may be able to get a ...

Happy November! Fall is a great time to review your insurance policies and make any necessary changes. And, when it comes to making changes or asking questions regarding your policy, nothing beats one-on-one human interaction. Customer service is key when it comes to insurance. Nowadays, there are lots of options for purchasing insurance online; but, as a recent J.D. Power Studies U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study reports, customers are happier and more satisfied when able to deal di...

  In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, many of us are likely thinking about flood insurance. While Southwestern Ohio isnt in hurricane territory, we arent immune to the effects of hurricane season and/or flooding (see above picture of the Cincinnati riverfront from the 2015 flood). Heres what Ohioans should know about flood insurance: Ohioans need flood insurance, too! Flood insurance covers physical damage to structures affected by flooding from heavy snowmelt and runoff following hea...

The insurance industry has been hit with hundreds of thousands of claims in the wake of recent hurricanes - but its not just homeowners and business owners who are filing the claims. Car owners have flooded insurers with claims, the New York Times reports. Roughly 100,000 claims have been filed so far, with analysts expecting that number to climb as high as 500,000. Unlike most homeowners policies, which generally exclude flood damage, comprehensive car insurance policies do cover flooding, m...

  Why do you need homeowners insurance? What if your home were destroyed in a storm, where would you go?  How would you replace your home, clothing, furniture? A homeowner’s policy will provide coverage on your dwelling (home), and personal property along with offer liability insurance if anyone were to be injured on your property or cause property damage.  If you have a loan on your home your lender will require you to have insurance; they want to make sure that their fi...

“An independent agent is an insurance agent that sells insurance policies provided by several different insurance carriers, rather than just a single insurance company. The independent agent acts as a middleman to connect insurance buyers and sellers in order to facilitate a transaction. Independent agents are not considered employees of any specific insurance company."    I have found that many people dread talking about insurance or to anyone who works in insurance. This...