Ways To Save On Your Auto Insurance

With the start of 2024, people all over the U.S are surprised to find that their car insurance rates are expected to go up by almost 12.6%. This price hike may come as a shock to most Americans, so here are the facts to determine if you are getting the best auto insurance quote:

  • The average annual auto insurance price is $1,984
  • If you bundle home and auto insurance, you have the possibility to decrease your overall price up to 18%
  • A poor credit score can negatively affect your insurance price
  • Your age and driving record can significantly affect your rates
  • Your car make and model could be more expensive to insure than others
  • If you are married, then getting jointly insured could save you more money

With these facts considered, it is important that you make sure that all of these factors come into play when deciding if you have a fair auto insurance rate.

Contact Us | AZ Insurance Team | Auto, Home, Life, Commercial…

Independent insurance brokerage located in Tempe, AZ. We offer auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, renters insurance, commercial insurance…

Information and statistics gathered from: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/car-insurance-premiums-to-increase-12-6-in-2024—highest-rate-increase-in-6-years-302030200.html#:~:text=The%20average%20annual%20cost%20of,over%20the%20past%20six%20years.

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Is Your Home Insurance Covering Everything?

Homeowners insurance is different and customizable for every person so it is important to know what your home insurance is covering. To be able to determine this, we need to know the three most common types of homeowners insurance.

Actual Cash Value: Actual cash value or ACV for short, will cover the depreciated cost of your home plus the current value of items on the premises. Hypothetically, if you had a flat screen TV that costed $280 when you bought it but is worth $100 the day it is lost, then the insurance company would only cover $100.

Replacement Cost: Replacement cost insurance covers the cost to rebuild your home plus the money to replace the items on the premises. Relating back to the earlier example above, The insurance company would need to pay you $280 for a new TV even if your current TV has depreciated below that price.

Guaranteed Replacement Cost: This type of insurance offers to pay for the repairs or replacement of your home and its items even if it costs more than your limit! This policy is often used to combat inflation for costs of services like the construction to rebuild or repair your home. Although these policies do have a percentage limit on how much the insurance company is willing to cover, guaranteed replacement cost insurance protects your home and assets the most of the three. But these policies are not common.

Contact Us | AZ Insurance Team | Auto, Home, Life, Commercial…

Independent insurance brokerage located in Tempe, AZ. We offer auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, renters insurance, commercial insurance…

Information and data: https://www.investopedia.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance-guide/#toc-different-types-of-homeowners-coverage

Image credit: Image by Freepik

5 Signs You Need New Tires

photo-1504648942819-979a70e29d291. Inspect the depth of your tires’ tread. Your tires’ tread should not be below 1/16 of an inch in depth. To test how much tread you have, take a penny and insert the penny into the tread. If Lincoln’s entire head is visible, you don’t have enough tread. However, if you drive on wet surfaces often, you most likely need double the tread depth.

2. Many newer tires have indicator bars built into them. The flat, rubber bars run perpendicular to the direction of the tread and if one are more is visible, your tread is getting low and you may need new tires.

3. If you notice any cuts within the sidewall that are visible to the naked eye, your tire may be developing an air leak or even worse, a blowout. Get your car to the dealer or repair shop and have the technicians take a look at it. They may recommend replacing your tires at that point.

4. Once the outside surface of your tire begins to weaken, it will develop blisters and bulges. As soon as this happens, get your car to a repair shop to avoid a disastrous blowout.

5. Be wary of any excess vibration or thumping noises when you drive as it could be a sign that your rear tires are out of balance or misaligned. Even if the tires aren’t the source of the vibration, the vibration itself may cause problems and damage the tires. Take your car to a mechanic as soon as you notice anything wrong to make sure your car gets back to running smoothly.

Have questions? Give us a call.
AZ Insurance Team
480-535-5709
https://www.azinsuranceteam.com
*All policies are a little different and this may not be applicable to your insurance policy, talk to your agent to see what your policy covers.*

5 Ways to Lower Your Water Bill

photo-1537867328339-13dc7fb9d169According to the U.S Geological Survey, the average person uses around 80 to 100 gallons of water per day. Reducing your water usage can help you become more environmentally conscience and save you money on your water bill.

  1. Check your appliances for leaks. Fix any drips coming from toilets, showerheads, dishwashers, and laundry washers.

 

  1. Convert your toilet to low flow by adding weights to the toilet tank. Filling a plastic gallon bottle with sand and water and placing it in your toilet tank can reduce the amount of water used each flush.

 

  1. Add aerators to your faucet to reduce the amount of water used. The aerator adds air to the water which lets less water flow out of the faucet. This will also add more force to the flow.

 

  1. Insulate your pipes to prevent heat loss during the time the water flows to the faucet head. This will reduce the time you have to let the water run until it heats up which may save you money on your water bill.

 

  1. Use your dishwasher rather than hand washing dishes. Dishwashers use 6 gallons of water per cycle while 2 gallons of water flow out of the faucet per minute.

 

  1. Xeriscape your yard to minimize the amount of water you need to use watering your lawn. Use drought resistant plants, rocks, and mulch to make your yard beautiful yet cost effective.

 

Have questions? Give  us a call!

AZ Insurance Team
480-535-5709
https://www.azinsuranceteam.com

*All policies are a little different and this may not be applicable to your insurance policy, talk to your agent to see what your policy covers.*