by Flagship Staff | Aug 28, 2017 | Blog
If you use Siri, Cortana, or Alexa on a daily basis, you’re like many people who rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to help make life easier. AI can send a text to a friend, set an appointment on our calendar and provide us with driving directions when we are lost.
Many people think AI is robots working in a factory or staring in science fiction movies. In essence, AI is the technology our smartphones and other smart gadgets use. They listen for their name to be called and when it is, jump into service.
CyberScout and West Bend have collaborated to provide our insureds with the option to buy insurance coverage to protect them against identity theft. CyberScout has written an article titled, “Convenience with a twist: How artificial intelligence puts your data at risk.”
The article explains:
1.How data travels;
2.Data storage; and
3.Security and privacy unknowns.
In addition, the article provides tips on how you can protect your data that is floating through the cloud or being used by AI.
1.Limit sharing. Before you share personal information, take a minute to think about if that is a good idea. For example, if you are downloading an app and they ask for your date of birth, think about why they need that.
2.Limit use. When not using smart devices, turn them off or adjust settings to maximize privacy. Recently, my wife has been struggling with her smartphone maintaining battery life. While the battery needs to be replaced, it was amazing to learn about all the apps running in the background tracking her location.
3.Assume the worst. Unfortunately, hackers are always looking for ways to get at your personal data. What you say or do now could show up in the future.
Lastly, check out CyberScout’s infographic that shares some statistics and explains where and how artificial intelligence works.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them. Please share them in the box below.
by Flagship Staff | Aug 21, 2017 | Blog
It’s that time of year … kids are back in school! It’s the perfect time to review the correct status of your youthful drivers with your insurance agent.
It’s very important to update your insurance agent each year on the changing status of your children: Are they back to college? Do they have a vehicle? Will the vehicle be garaged? Are they eligible for good student discounts?
Auto insurance premiums for youthful drivers, especially if you have more than one, can be costly for parents. Statistics show, however, that students with good grades are less likely to have accidents and are safer drivers overall. That’s why insurance carriers offer a variety of student discounts based on their grades and location.
A good student discount can be applied to children who reside at home and attend a local school. They must have 3.0 or higher grade point average (GPA).
Children who go away to college and take a vehicle with them can also be eligible for this discount based on their grades. It’s important, however, to let your insurance company know where the child will have the vehicle. In most cases, other rating considerations will apply based on where it will be garaged. There may also be a coverage issue if the car is driven/garaged in another state.
A resident student discount can be applied to children who are still considered residents of the parents’ household, but are attending college full-time more than 100 miles from home and have NO vehicle with them. This discount can be substantial! The rating takes into account that the student will be driving infrequently while at home on breaks or for the summer, yet is covered year-round as a rated driver.
Some carriers offer a graduate student discount. This is for children ages 21-24 who’ve graduated and are done with college with a cumulative 3.0 or higher GPA. It’s like an extended good student discount until they get to the adult rating class at age 25. Parents often overlook this discount because they believe that once the child graduates, the discounts end. This can save HUNDREDS of dollars each year in auto insurance premiums so be sure to discuss it with your agent!
Always maximize the auto insurance discounts for which your family is eligible. Talk to your agent about your child’s changing student and vehicle status. These discounts, coupled with driving safely and remaining claim and violation free, all help your overall insurance savings!
by Flagship Staff | Aug 14, 2017 | Blog
When warm weather is here, many look for ways to enjoy our time outside. One of those ways is to get on a bicycle and go for a ride. With school a few weeks away, a bicycle can also turn into the main mode of transportation.
There are many benefits to riding bicycles, whether it’s for recreation, getting around town, or going to work. Besides the benefit of getting exercise, in many cities it’s easier to find parking for a bicycle than a vehicle. Now it’s also easier to get around, since access to roads, bike paths, and rural trails has increased. In addition, the increased use of bicycles helps reduce air and noise pollution, consumption of fossil fuel, and traffic congestion.
Sarah Fasching, our personal lines manager will discuss the types of bikes available and if your insurance policy provides coverage.
There are many different bicycles to choose; what’s best for you depends on your use and the distance you plan to ride. Options range from the traditional bicycle, to tricycle, quadracycle, recumbent, and human-powered vehicles (HPV) such as pedal assist, electric, or motorized bicycles. The HPV bicycles help the rider go farther or faster with less effort due to their design with pedal assist technology.
The traditional bicycle is covered for physical damage as contents under personal property on the homeowners’ policy. If a motor is attached to a bicycle, as in the pedal assist-type bicycles, these now become motorized vehicles. The standard homeowners’ policy does not provide coverage for motorized vehicles.
When making the decision to purchase a new bicycle, check with your insurance agent to see if it will automatically be covered or, in the case of a motorized bicycle, it should be scheduled in order to provide liability and physical damage coverages. This will help protect your investment.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them. Please share them in the box below.
by Flagship Staff | Aug 9, 2017 | Blog
As college students search for independence, a new challenge for this school year could be renting an apartment.
If you’ve been down this road before, you know renting an apartment for a college student can be stressful. If this is your first time, there are many things to keep in mind.
Unfortunately, when it comes to renting an apartment in your student’s college town, you’ll notice that rent prices can be through the roof and places may be in poor condition.
Here are some tips to help you and your college student through the process.
1. Do your homework. Before scheduling an appointment to view the apartment, do your research. Some items to think about are:
– Is there public transportation nearby?
– Is it a residential area or business district?
– If it is a business district, what type of work is performed there?
– Are retail stores and restaurants within walking distance?
Use the power of the internet to your advantage.
– Look for online reviews from previous renters.
– Compare and contrast different properties.
– Use tools such as Google Earth to look at the neighborhood as well as the condition of the property.
– If something looks too good to be true, it may be a scam; proceed with caution.
2. Pay a personal visit. Once you have selected apartments of interest, visit each one. Make sure the pictures online accurately reflect the condition of the property. The last thing you want to do is rent an apartment without seeing it. A visit allows you the opportunity to:
– See the actual size. This is a nice opportunity to see if their furniture will fit.
– Check out the quality of the appliances.
– Look in cupboards and closets. Keep an eye out for mouse droppings.
– Identify preexisting damages such as holes in the walls or carpet stains.
– Run the water in sinks and showers and flush the toilet.
3. Coach your kids. This is an opportunity for your kids to enter the realm of adulthood. Discuss with them what to look for and questions to ask. Lights burned out in the hallway or empty beer cans may not seem like a big deal, but can provide a glimpse of poor maintenance schedules or rowdy neighbors. While these things may not be a big deal at the time, they could be after signing a 12-month lease.
4. Discuss your expectations. Property owners may not be comfortable renting to your college student due to lack of income. Therefore, you may be asked to co-sign the lease. Before you sign on the dotted line, discuss your expectations with your student. It may not even be a bad idea to create a contract between the two of you. Once you co-sign, any damages that occur are your responsibility.
5. Make sure the lease is in writing. Signing a lease with a large apartment complex often leads to paperwork that is more thorough. Individual property owners may not follow a structured approach. If they don’t have the appropriate paperwork in place, consider renting somewhere else.
6. Test their smartphone. Depending on the construction of the building or their phone company, your student’s smartphone may not work. Have them walk through each room to make sure it works. I’m sure you’ll want to get a hold of them from time to time.
7. Understand the pet policy. Simply having a pet may cause you to forfeit your security deposit even if your pet doesn’t cause any damages.
8. Don’t forget to purchase renters insurance. Most landlords’ insurance policies cover only the building, not what’s in it. Many students think because they’re in college, they don’t have anything valuable to insure. Imagine if they lost everything in a fire. The cost to replace necessities adds up quickly. To learn more about renters insurance, check out the blogs below.
Renters Coverage? Why do I need that?
Renter’s insurance. A smart choice for college students
BUY VS RENT? Either way homeowners (aka renters) insurance is needed!
9. Make multiple visits. Visiting at night or during poor weather conditions can paint an even better picture for the both of you. No one wants to rent a place with roof that leaks or one that has poor insulation. Poor insulation can lead to increased heating costs.
10. Pros and cons. After each visit, identify the pros and cons while they’re fresh in your mind.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them. Please share them in the box below.
by Flagship Staff | Jul 31, 2017 | Blog
When the weather gets hot at this time of year, you tend to hear people say, “The dog days of summer are definitely here.” When I was young and I heard my parents say that, I knew it meant the hot weather was here and the air conditioning would be turned on. Thank goodness!
“The dog days of summer” isn’t a reference to our pets being outside in the heat with their tongues out, scrounging for a bowl of water. It refers to Sirius the Dog Star. It was thought in ancient times that when the Dog Star aligned with the sun, weather would get even hotter. This alignment occurs in July and goes into August.
When the weather gets hot and humid, the last thing you want to experience is trouble with your air conditioner.
My brother, as well as some friends of mine, recently experienced issues with their central air conditioning. For my friends, it led to buying a new and expensive system. Ouch! For my brother, it was a simple fix. His condenser unit was clogged with cottonwood.
A few years ago, I found my basement carpet soaked with water. I learned the plastic tubing that went from the furnace to the drain was clogged with mold and it caused the water to back up everywhere.
Here are some videos that may help you identify why your home isn’t cooling during the “dog days of summer.” If the repair looks too complicated, call your local heating and air conditioning contractor.
Air Conditioner Not Cooling
How to fix your AC! Outdoor fan not running
Hello, You Need a New Compressor on that Air Conditioner. NOT!
Furnace AC Water Leak Fixed
Do you have any information you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you please share them in the box below.
Source:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150710-dog-days-summer-sirius-star-astronomy-weather-language/
