It’s official. There is only one more month of summer left.

I can hear the tears from behind the screen.

As summer comes to a close, many families are packing up the car and heading out for one more fantastic road trip to remember for years to come. However, in all the excitement, one can forget simple things like how to properly keep your home protected while you’re away.

Shut the house down.

It seems like a no-brainer to make sure and lock your doors and windows, but it wouldn’t need to be said if it didn’t happen! According to FBI statistics, 30% of robberies consist of unforced entry. Meaning they climbed in your window that your kid said they had locked but actually forgot about.

Tell someone but not everyone.

In the excitement for laying out on the beach or finally getting some peace and quiet, you want to tell anyone and everyone. You turn to your Facebook, your Twitter, your LinkedIn, anywhere that you can brag about how great of a time you’re going to have. However, what you’re doing is laying out a welcome mat for burglars. You’ve provided a timeline of how long you’ll be gone, where you’ll be going, and what family members will remain in the house. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t tell anyone though. Inform a neighbor that you’ll be leaving and ask for them to just keep an eye on your house and get your mail.

Pull the plug.

This doesn’t really keep your home safe as much as it does save you money. Many power appliances use power even when turned off!

Lock it up.

There’s always a chance a burglar could get past your precautions and be in your home. Lock up your valuables such as jewelry, electronics, and anything of important monetary value. This way all they can do is window shop instead of stealing.

Have a fun and safe weekend, everyone! Enjoy your last month!

The monthly bills roll in and it feels a bit like you’re suffocating.

You have your mortgage/rent, your car payment, your phone bill, the water bill, the power bill, the cable bill, and do not forget that Netflix bill. And then, just when you think you’re done, your insurance payment is due. You look at that nice little bill notice and ask yourself, “Do I really need insurance?”

YES

Aside from the fact that it is illegal in all fifty states to drive without auto insurance, not many can actually pay the real bills that come after the accident. You may be thinking, “But I’m a good driver! I haven’t had an accident in years!” That may be true and bravo to you, but not everyone is as great of a driver as you are. Every time you go out on the road, you’re putting your life in the hands of, not yourself, but everyone else that is driving a vehicle around you.

(A funny story for you: our very own Ashlee Phillips was notorious for totaling cars in her teenage years. So much so that her nickname became Crashlee! Imagine all of those bills had she not had reliable insurance!)

While it isn’t illegal to own a home without home insurance, a mortgage lender most likely will require you to have coverage. And, even when you’re finished paying your mortgage, you should continue to have it! What if a hurricane comes and a tree falls on your house from the winds? How on earth will you pay for that? Your insurance can help.

Think of this article next time you’re paying that insurance bill; it’ll make it a little easier.

Have a great weekend!

Did you know that Brown-Phillips Insurance has a referral rewards program?

You may be asking: What is a referral rewards program?

What that means is that, for every person you refer to us that gets a quote, you get $5! (And who doesn’t want $5?)

With $5, you can buy flowers, lunch, ice cream, pens, a lot of different things! So refer your parents, your best friend, your coworker, your neighbor, your neighbor’s third cousin once removed, even someone you pass by on the street! Have them mention your name and $5 will be on its way to your door.

Whoever you refer, you’re helping get affordable insurance rates. Whoever you refer, you’re helping us gain new and wonderful clients. Whoever you refer, they help you get richer.

So start referring!

These days everyone has a smart phone and everyone is attached to it. I have one, my parents have one, even my grandparents have one. Technology has taken over our lives and we do not mind one bit. It makes life easier from reminding you about your doctor’s appointment to allowing you to get in one more level of Candy Crush before you leave for work.

However, it can be a little too easy to take “a quick glance” at your phone while behind the wheel.

When you’re on the road at any time, about 660,000 are using their cell phones. Whether they’re sending a text or looking at the map on their phone, this causes an extreme danger. Huffington Post posted some interesting statistics in 2015:

9 is the number of Americans killed every day by accidents involving texting while driving.

1 in 4 is the probability that an accident was caused by cell phone use while driving.

341,000 is the number of accidents that occurred in 2013 due to texting behind the wheel.

2 is the number of seconds a driver can safely look away from the wheel.

It takes, on average, 5 seconds to send a text.

Most will look at these statistics and think that these statistics only apply to the millennials, or the younger generation, but this applies to all age groups. Cell phones have taken over the lives of many, not just the young. There are times when I look up and see that everyone else is on their phones.

I’m not saying to stop using your phones and to never play Candy Crush again. I’m saying to start using them smartly. One’s life is worth more than a text message.

I apologize for killing the Friday joy a little but just keep these statistics in mind next time you’re driving around and get that message.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!

Finally what we’ve all been waiting for – a three day weekend.

But, more importantly, it’s Independence Day! The day we celebrate this wonderful country we live in, work in, and buy insurance in!

With the Fourth of July comes beach visits, fireworks, and a lot of fun. I know Brown-Phillips Insurance will be on Fayetteville Street in Raleigh for festivities. However, the Fourth also comes with a lot of driving, which can result in a lot of accidents. The Fourth of July has been found by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to have more fatal car accidents than any other day of the year with 592 deaths. But don’t unpack the car yet! We have a few tips so you can have a safe holiday.

Always make sure everyone is buckled up.
Everyone has heard of the “click it or ticket” campaign because it is one of the most successful seatbelt campaigns in the country. Did you know that wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of a fatal injury by 45%?
Leave early.
While you may have to wake up with the chickens in order to be packed up and ready to go, your life is much more important than an extra hour of sleep. TODAY’s Dylan Dreyer recommends leaving Friday before 7 a.m. or Saturday before 11 a.m. According to traffic and navigation app Waze, the worst time to travel is Thursday and Friday between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. And for the return trip, avoid driving Monday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.*
Print out the directions ahead of time.
You don’t want to have to explain that the reason you rear-ended someone is because you missed what the GPS said to you and you frantically had to make sure you hadn’t missed your turn.

Enjoy your Fourth of July and stay safe! We’ll see you Tuesday!

*This information is from TODAY.

Duke University Medical System is making huge strides in brain tumor and cancer research.  Recently featured on 60 Minutes, the Duke Medical Center is a pioneer for brain cancer research, using the polio virus to eradicate tumors, particularly the aggressive growing glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor.  This is truly amazing for a disease that was once considered a death sentence!

Brown-Phillips Insurance has been in business since 2002.  However, the original agency was Dixon Insurance Agency—started by Nancy Dixon.  Nancy just happened to be Ashlee’s mom, and this is the story of her battle with a brain tumor:

“It all started on June 30, 2000.  Just a regular day.  My mom and I were at the office together. All of a sudden, she complained of a terrible headache & told me that something was very wrong. After a trip to the ER, she was taken to the Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke Hospital and our 5 1/2 month battle began with a glioblastoma multiforme. We were so fortunate to live close to such an amazing place, and her care was unparalleled. While her battle was short, the strides that have been made in brain tumor research in the past 15 years have been miraculous.

I hope in my lifetime to see a cure for the scary, aggressive disease that took my mother’s life. Team Nancy is running (okay, walking) in her honor on April 25. Won’t you consider joining our team or making a donation?  Any amount at all will help so much!”

We will not be the fastest, but we will be having the most fun!!! Thank you for your support!

Click here to join our team or make a donation to Team Nancy.

“The forecast shows freezing rain tonight, and I need to get somewhere in a hurry tomorrow!” Whether it sleets, snows, or freezes over, you may still have to get up, go to work/school, and get out on the roads. To make things a little easier, we’ve comprised a helpful list of “life hacks” that may prevent icy issues.

• The night before a chilly forecast, park your car facing toward the east. With luck, the Sun will do most of the work for you!
• Spray your car’s windows with 2/3 vinegar, 1/3 water. This will keep ice from forming on your windows. (Just be careful about spraying your car…the vinegar can damage the paint.)
• Keep your windshield wipers off the windshield by lifting them. Once you’ve gotten the ice off your windshield, you can place the wipers back into their original position and be on your merry way.
• Hand sanitizer can melt away snow on your car door handles. And, let’s be real.. if you’re not already carrying around hand sanitizer, then you should.#fluseason
• Cover your side mirrors with a plastic Ziploc bag and zip it as far as it will go. This will prevent ice from forming on your side mirrors, eliminating one step in your morning’s “de-icing” process.
• If you find yourself without an ice scraper, use a nonmetal kitchen spatula or a credit card.
• Making shoveling snow a lot easier by spraying non-stick cooking oil on your shovel. The snow comes right off!
• Spread cat litter underneath your tires to gain some traction. (Plan B: If you don’t have a cat, use your car’s floor mats, instead.)
• If your headlights become foggy or dirty, clean them off with an old rag and some toothpaste. Although it takes a while, you’ll feel much more at ease with the safety that comes with it!
• As we mentioned in our last post, keep a winter weather emergency kit in your car at all times.

Because North Carolina is used to getting snow late in the winter months, I’m sure that these life hacks will become useful to you soon enough. As always, be safe driving on roads during/after inclement weather. Read up in our previous post on ways to practice safe driving in snowy/icy situations.

If you’re reading this post, then cue the fireworks! You must have recently purchased your first auto insurance policy!

Even if this isn’t your first rodeo with an auto policy, you’re probably still fairly new to all things auto insurance. If you’re new, you may have either just gotten your license or fallen off your parents’ policy. On the other hand, if you’ve had auto insurance for a while, then you’ve probably had the same coverage for years and just never bothered to see what it all meant. I’m here to give you some good news: it’s not as complicated as it looks.

Auto insurance is required all over the United States, so we’ve been able to break it down to where it’s pretty easy to understand. Simply, it is divided into six categories. Not all are required coverages; however, to figure out the best coverages for you, it will be helpful to learn a little about each of them.

Liability Coverage is required in 49 out of 50 states in the U.S. and protects you from paying third-party expenses in the case of an at-fault accident. The money WILL go to the people you hit and their damaged vehicle; the money WILL NOT go toward you, your vehicle, or the other people in your vehicle.

You may find this coverage on your auto policy in the form of three numbers. For our purposes, we will use 30/60/25 (North Carolina’s minimum required coverage). This means that, in a single accident, you have $30,000 for any one person involved, a maximum of $60,000 for all persons involved, and $25,000 for damages to the vehicle. Let’s take a closer look:

• Bodily Injury: this coverage will take care of a third party’s medical expenses or loss of income.
• Property Damage: this coverage will take care of damaged property involved in an at-fault accident, usually meaning any third-party vehicle(s) involved. Additionally, it can cover damages made to other objects.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage will come in handy if you are hit by someone without insurance or enough coverage to pay for your expenses.

Comprehensive will cover damages to your car that were not caused by an at-fault accident. This may include theft, fire, vandalism, or hitting an animal.

Collision will cover damage to your vehicle caused by an at-fault accident.

(Note: if you have comprehensive and/or collision coverage, you will likely have a deductible, as well. This means you will have to pay a certain amount out-of-pocket in order to have the remainder of the damages paid for. For example, let’s say Bob has a $500 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage. If Bob hits a deer and acquires $1,500 in damages, he would have to pay $500 before the insurance company will pay for the damage.)

Medical Payments will cover the medical expenses of you or others in your vehicle in the case of an accident, as well any lost income due to being out of work for injury. This is an optional coverage and, depending on the situation, could be covered under your health insurance policy. Check with your health insurance agent to find out what would be covered in the case of an auto accident.

Now that you have a basic understanding of what all is covered, visit the Brown-Phillips Customer Service Center to review the coverages listed on your policy. If you have further questions, please call to consult with an independent agent.

We are so excited to announce the launch of our new Agency Management System…and think you will be, too! Since skimming > reading, here are a few of the features:

• texting information with your agent
• real time quotes
• your policy information/documents available online
• proof that the Loch-Ness monster is real
• ability to request changes online
• and more!

Log in, sign up, and see what YOU think at www.brownphillips.com!

xo,

Ashlee @ Brown-Phillips Insurance

P.S. Be sure to follow us on facebook & twitter (for serious “insurance” posts) and instagram (for more casual information). Look forward to seeing you!