Spring is Fast Approaching

By Stephanie McLain, Claims Adjuster

Spring is fast approaching. We will finally dig ourselves out of the snow and have a chance to smell the tulips. However, as with every new season, there comes new perils. Spring is like a big sister in charge of babysitting her two younger and very destructive brothers, Wind and Hail. Sometimes, she goes places alone and it’s fantastic. Other times she has to drag her siblings with her and they kick up a lot of dust and throw things at windows.

What do we do when children are coming into our lives? We baby proof the house. So what should we do when spring and her little brothers are headed our way? Prep the house! There are a few fairly inexpensive things you can do to save you from a possible nightmare so why not just knock them out early?

  1. Clean your roof. That’s right, clean it. Kiplinger.com notes if dark streaks and stains cover your shingles, then they likely have an algae problem. Moss can cause asphalt shingles to curl or lift and blow off in high winds. You can get rid of both the dirty look and the potential claim by using a garden sprayer and a 50/50 solution of water and bleach, which you rinse off after 10-15 minutes.
  2. Clean your gutters. I know more cleaning, but they don’t call it Spring Cleaning for nothing. When you don’t have clean gutters, your home is at risk. The website Squeegeepros.com notes that water can seep through your roof or collect at your home’s foundation and seep into your basement. This can slowly destroy your foundation and create MOLD. Both of which are very expensive to fix. Cleaning the gutters however is not so pricey.
  3. Clean out the cellar, if you have one. Most people tend to use their cellar as a storage unit. However, in an emergency, your high school yearbooks and college keepsakes aren’t near as important as your life. Clear the boxes out to that you have a clutter free space to go in the event of a tornado.
  4. Clean out the garage. The garage is a catch all for our things that don’t belong outside, but don’t quite belong in the house either. However, when hail comes knocking, your car shouldn’t suffer. Before the hail reaches your town, maybe at least try to shuffle things around so that you can squeeze your car in the garage when you need to.

Yes this list is all about cleaning. But a little cleaning goes a long way, which can save you a lot of hardship in the event a spring storm strikes near you with those little brothers Wind and Hail.

Stephanie HeadshotAbout Stephanie

Tech enthusiast (not pro), photographer hobbyist, boy mom, animal lover, and Insurance Adjuster

When Stephanie isn’t at work she’s trying new things from food, tech, games, hair colors, etc. Stephanie and her husband of 2 years live with their 2 boys, 1 fostered cousin, 2 dogs, 1 snake, and 1 fostered bearded dragon. Her goals are to experience the best life has to offer. They like to explore as a family everything from the outdoors, new towns, new games, or even new concepts or ideas for the house.

Transitioning Kids and Some Adults to Autonomous Living

By Stephanie McLain, Claims Adjuster

When we first introduced the Echo to my boys, they loved it! They wanted to talk to Alexa all the time. They said Please and Thank you and Good Morning as if she were a new roommate in our house. It was the most precious interaction between tech and child. That slowly changed when Alexa took away their light switch.

The smart lights were a welcomed change because gradually turning on the lights helped my boys wake up happier and more refreshed. However, fully taking control of their lights to the point where there was now a guard on their light switch so that they didn’t accidentally turn it off disabling the functionality, really threw them for a loop.

My oldest son came to me crying confused and said, “I don’t mind change when it’s fun but why can’t we have our light switch? I don’t know why I’m crying but I just like the light switch.”

I grabbed him into a big hug and explained that change is scary and crying is acceptable. Children aren’t the only ones afraid of change. Many adults stay stuck in outdated ways because change is scary. Mind you, I did chastise my husband for making such a drastic change without warning the kids because you should always tell someone before just altering their life. Even if a light switch seems so minuscule that it won’t affect them, it’s a habitual part of life that may be drastically impactful. We ended up giving the boys their Christmas gift of their very own Echo Dot early so that they can control their smart lights with it from their bedroom which negates the need for a light switch and my son is beyond well-adjusted now. They now want to know what else can be controlled with their Echo.

Once you get past the initial shock, it’s amazing what world of opportunity that awaits you. If a child can talk through it and reason his way to understanding, so can an adult. It’s all about getting through those stubborn parts of yourself and finally being open minded. I know being open minded is difficult, but if you try, you’d be surprised. You have to do something 20 times for it to become a habit which means just because it is uncomfortable or unfamiliar the first 19 times doesn’t mean it’s not for you.

Stephanie HeadshotAbout Stephanie

Tech enthusiast (not pro), photographer hobbyist, boy mom, animal lover, and Insurance Adjuster

When Stephanie isn’t at work she’s trying new things from food, tech, games, hair colors, etc. Stephanie and her husband of 2 years live with their 2 boys, 1 fostered cousin, 2 dogs, 1 snake, and 1 fostered bearded dragon. Her goals are to experience the best life has to offer. They like to explore as a family everything from the outdoors, new towns, new games, or even new concepts or ideas for the house.

No Endorsement:  The products identified above are examples of smart home technology.  The information in this article about products is for informational purposes only.  MAX Insurance has not purchased or tested and does not endorse, recommend, certify, or approve any product mentioned above.  We have no affiliation or relationship with any manufacturer or supplier of any product described in this article.  We make no representation or warranty with respect to any such product nor to its quality, reliability, or integrity.  We do not vouch for the truthfulness or accuracy of any information from any third-party about its product.  If you choose to purchase or use such product, it is at your own risk and you are responsible to use it in accordance with directions from its manufacturer or supplier.

New Jewelry? It’s time for an Insurance Review.

By Stephanie McLain, Claims Adjuster

Love is in the air and some MAX members may receive jewelry during the month of February. It’s a wonderfully exciting thing receiving a shiny new token of affection.  However, it would be equally as devastating if it were lost, stolen, or broken. It’s not always fun to review coverage every time something is gifted or something changes in your life, but it is definitely a good idea to do so.

Now back to jewelry. Be sure to take good detailed pictures and save them so that you can provide the pictures to your insurance company in the event a claim is ever necessary. Even though your admirer may not want you to know the cost associated with your gift, have them save the receipt — either a digital copy or hard copy so that it is available as well. Receipts are important in the event the device is lost or stolen, especially when it comes to jewelry since so many items are unique and hard to price match.

This next part is important for all jewelry not just new pieces.

Did you know appraisals only last two or three years? With market changes as well as conditional changes in the jewelry itself, jewelry needs to be reappraised occasionally.

A good appraisal should provide a description complete and detailed enough to adequately replace the item in the event it is damaged, lost, or stolen.  

Did you receive jewelry this month or back around the holidays?  What about a birthday?  Contact your MAX agent today and they would be happy to do an insurance review!

About Stephanie

Tech enthusiast (not pro), photographer hobbyist, boy mom, animal lover, and Insurance Adjuster

Stephanie Headshot

When Stephanie isn’t at work she’s trying new things from food, tech, games, hair colors, etc. Stephanie and her husband of 2 years live with their 2 boys, 1 fostered cousin, 2 dogs, 1 snake, and 1 fostered bearded dragon. Her goals are to experience the best life has to offer. They like to explore as a family everything from the outdoors, new towns, new games, or even new concepts or ideas for the house.

Volunteering

by Terri Mooney-Hooker, Administrative Coordinator

When you think about volunteering, what comes to mind? What can you do to help out in your community? Where do you start? Volunteering your time to help others around your area, no matter what time of the year or occasion, can be very fulfilling as well as giving an opportunity to make a true difference in someone’s life.

There are many places and projects around your community that need volunteers. If you have a special place in your heart for something that might be a good place to start; nursing homes to help with the elderly, a hospital to help with the ill, animal shelters, school programs, and the list goes on and on…

You can also find websites online that list volunteer activities in your area. Here are a few:

Always be sure to be realistic about your availability. Remember, volunteering is of your time; do not allow it to interfere with work, home, or your sanity! Maybe try looking for places that let you interview before committing. This way you can discuss what volunteer opportunities they offer and the group’s needs, and see if you think it would be a good fit.

At MAX, one of our employee benefits is a week’s worth of paid volunteer time.  Team members enjoy giving their time to organizations that are important to them.  You can read more about where they volunteer on this page of our website.

Where do you volunteer?  We would love to hear our members’ and agents’ volunteer stories.

Source:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2016/05/11/how-to-find-the-ideal-place-to-volunteer/#55cfdae77c87

Terri photoAbout Terri

Terri is the Administrative Coordinator at MAX. She performs all administrative duties, and helps out in other areas of the company when needed. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her children, two cats, and her extended family and friends. She is huge movie goer and an avid animal lover.