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~Alex Hastings~
Hastings Insurance Solutions LLC
~Guide One~
2435 Kimberly Road
Suite #100N
Bettendorf IA 52722
563-355-0262 Office
641-494-9494 Cell
855-355-0262 Fax
ExpertInsuranceSolutions@gmail.com
www.HastingsInsuranceSolutions.com
Are You Making Any of These Top 10 Insurance Blunders?
When it comes to buying insurance, what you don't know can hurt you...and your family...for years to come. Learn how to identify the top ten insurance mistakes and what you can do about them with my free guide, "The Top 10 Insurance Blunders - and How to Avoid Them."
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Recipe: Parsley-Crusted Roast Beef
This easy family favorite serves 4-6 people
- 1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) boneless rump roast
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sprinkle celery salt, garlic salt, salt and pepper all over the beef and rub in.
Firmly pat the chopped parsley all over the meat so that it sticks and forms a crust on the roast.
Put the prepared roast in a lightly greased roasting pan and place in the oven.
Roast for approximately 20 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reads 135-145 degrees.
Remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Slice and serve with your favorite sides.
Worth Quoting
This month ... kids say the darnedest things:
I'm glad I'm finally eight. This is the oldest I've ever been in my entire life!.
Eight-year-old
Daddy, did your hair slip?.
Three-year-old to his bald but bearded father
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us some email ....
Four-year-old girl misquoting the Lord's Prayer
If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. Parents always catch the second person.
Ten-year-old
Parents should come with instructions.
Fourteen-year-old
It's not always easy being a kid, but I bet it's even harder being an adult.
Eleven-year-old
You only have one mom, and you should take care of her.
Twelve-year-old
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The 80% Factor: Why Homeowners Insurers Require It
Consumers are often frustrated by the amount of insurance their mortgage company requires them to carry on their home.
Often that amount is greater than the home's market value; regularly it's more than the amount remaining on the mortgage.
But many insurers still insist your home be insured for at least 80% to 100% of its replacement cost. Not its market value. Banks are ever more requiring 125% coverage should Inflation to the catastrophic area impacted occur. ( Due to more homes damaged than materials available in the area can repair )
Here is the reasoning behind this and how it can help you.
First, the homeowners' policy will replace - not just repair - damaged property. That means hardwood floors will be replaced with hardwood, not laminate, as it might be without this replacement clause.
Second, 96% percent of all homeowners' losses are partial; only 4% of homes suffer a total loss.
Next, think of insurance as a big pool of money.
All insurance buyers put their premiums into this pool, and the insurance company invests the money and uses it to pay claims and expenses.
Insurers know if they collect premiums on limits of insurance equal to 80% of replacement cost, they will have enough money in the pool to pay full replacement cost for partial losses.
So if you don't carry an amount of insurance that equals 80% of your home's replacement cost, you will be penalized in the event of a partial loss.
Here is the formula used to calculate a partial payment:
(Amount of Insurance Carried / Amount of Insurance Required) x Amount of Loss
For example; your home has a replacement cost of $500,000. However, you must carry at least $400,000 in coverage (80% of replacement cost).
You owe only $300,000 on the mortgage, so that's all you decide to carry. However, this is only 75% of the $400,000 you require.
If a fire causes $50,000 in damage you may receive only a 75% ($37,500) payment for this partial loss because you are carrying only 75% of the required amount.
Smarties Makers Got it Right After All
 Concerned your guests may not like your special blend of hot chocolate? Try serving it in a red or orange cup.
According to a recent study in the Journal of Sensory Studies, people believed their hot chocolate had a more intense flavor when they drank it from a red or orange mug.
Apparently we identify certain colors with the characteristics of certain foods, suggests lead researcher Betina Piqueras-Fiszman, and people associate red with sweet things.
Brown packaging signals to coffee drinkers that inside they'll find a strong brew. And what about that important question "When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?"
Would the old jingle be as memorable if you ate the yellow ones last?
Craving an Out-of-This-World Vacation?
 If you're looking for an out-of-this-world-vacation, you might be able to do just that ... literally! Astronomers have discovered what could be another Earth.
They have been studying five planets orbiting a star called Tau Ceti, similar to the Sun. If these planets are really there, one of them is roughly the correct distance from the star to host life, oceans and mild temperatures.
But don't book time off work just yet the discovery still needs to be confirmed.
Astronomer Mikko Tuomi at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. and his colleagues looked at more than 6,000 different observations of Tau Ceti from telescopes around the world. They believe small changes in the way Tau Ceti moves in space could be caused by gravitational tugs from these five planets.
Only one of the five planets (about four times as big as Earth) could host life. The others are too close to Tau Ceti.
As a resident of this new Earth, you'd see a bright yellow sun in the sky, but your year would be much shorter - only 168 days.
Save Dollars and Heartaches with a Home Inspection
There's nothing quite as much fun as spending money to furnish your new home.
Unless it's that feeling of satisfaction that comes with a careful inspection by an accredited home inspector certifying your dream home is in great condition. It makes good insurance sense as well.
Your home inspection can be a money saver all around, so here are some suggestions to make the most of it.
A home inspection gives you insight into the history of your potential purchase, providing a record of previous repairs and identifying problems. Consider asking for extra tests of electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems; they may cost more, but it's usually worth it.
While every home has problems that can be easily fixed, your inspection may identify serious problems: leaks, bad DIY repairs, electrical problems and fire hazards. In these cases, you'll be glad you found out.
Fixing these could add thousands of dollars to your costs, but by not identifying potential problems you could be in even more difficulty.
You can avoid higher insurance premiums or more stringent mortgage terms by identifying - and dealing with - all the potential problems up front.
Effectively, a home inspection may wind up paying for itself in costs you can avoid. And by identifying problems before you sign on the dotted line, you'll have a stronger negotiating stance with sellers - they will either have to fix the problems or reduce the price.
Even better: You may now have the extra cash to furnish your dream home.
Take Control and Reduce the Cost of Prescription Drugs
Americans are spending billions on prescription drugs, but there are ways for individuals to exercise some control over the high cost of taking a pill.
According to a recent article in Fox Business, Americans spent $269.2 billion on prescription drugs in 2011. And as baby boomers age, this is only likely to grow.
There is help: Seniors in the "donut hole", who are now responsible for paying for their drugs, qualify for discounts-50 percent on brand-name drugs and 14 percent on generic drugs covered by Medicare Part D. As well, the government has implemented a one-time $250 rebate check, but this is a drop in the bucket for many seniors.
Prescription-drug coverage is surprisingly affordable, but it's important to find a plan appropriate to your circumstances. Plans vary widely, and you need to do your homework. Your insurance professional can suggest a plan that works for your needs.
That said, you too have a role to play in keeping down prescription costs. Here are two suggestions:
Switch to generic drugs: Even though you may get a larger discount on brand-name drugs, the cost of generic drugs is generally lower. In most plans, copayments are also lower for generic drugs, and the result is overall savings.
Shop around for pharmacies: The cost of the same drug varies from pharmacy to pharmacy; let your fingers do the walking. Even easier, mobile phone users can get free apps that compare prices between pharmacies. Free discount cards are also widely available from many sources, including insurers and pharmacies.
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