Feb 2021 Insurance Newsletter

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True or False: Insurance Is Cheaper for Leased Cars

Cars are significant investments for millions of Americans, from the price of the monthly payments to gas and maintenance costs. It’s helpful when you can save on car insurance. Some wonder whether insurance is cheaper for leased cars or cars that you buy outright. However, the idea that insurance is cheaper for leased cars is nothing but a myth. Car insurance is not based on how you purchase a car. Car insurance is primarily based on your driving record and the make, model and year of the car. One of the considerations with leasing a car is that you may have to add the lender to your insurance policy, given that they have an interest in the vehicle. Thus, if you get into a crash and make a claim, the lender will be able to recover the portion they are still owed. Besides that, the coverage options for car insurance on a leased versus owned vehicle should remain the same. The premium has to do with the condition of the car and the cost to make repairs, not the lease option. Typically, the newer, more expensive and rarer the vehicle, the higher your insurance premium will be due to the higher cost of making repairs. Whether you buy or lease a car, consult with us for sample quotes before you make a decision that could cost you thousands in the long run. We are always here to help, and we’re just a phone call or email away.

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Meeting Change and Certainty with Ease and SkillIf there’s anything that 2020 taught us, it’s that change and uncertainty are part of the very foundations of life. One thing that is certain, however, is that we all go through these times of upheaval at some point. Often, we’re told by loved ones to "be strong" or that we’ll "get through this," but how do we practically achieve this?

The answer is resilience. It’s the ability to bounce back and successfully recover from trauma or painful experiences, and it can do a lot to make life a little easier, especially if you make a concerted effort to build up your reserves.

According to psychotherapist Joshua Miles, resilience is important for several reasons. Not only does it enable us to develop protection mechanisms, but it also helps us maintain balance by improving learning skills, increasing physical health and boosting the immune system.

There are several ways you can work on developing your resilience. Start with making small lifestyle changes that feed positively into your mental well-being. This can take the form of meditation, walking, listening to music, developing your hobbies and making time for family and friends. Practice being straightforward and assertive with others. If unreasonable demands are made of you, be prepared to say how you feel. It’s okay to say no.

Look after your physical health by developing regular sleeping patterns, exercising and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Lastly, be less hard on yourself and celebrate your wins. If you don’t achieve what you aim for, forgive yourself. Remember that resilience is about dusting yourself off and trying again.

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Heart Ice Cream SandwichesThe flavors and decoration choices for these are endless. Get creative! Super easy and fun to make, kids can join in too.

Yields 6

		• 12 cookies (from scratch or ready-made) • tub of slightly softened ice cream • decorations of choice in shallow containers (such as red and white sprinkles, heart sprinkles, chopped nuts or chocolate chips)

Using a heart cookie cutter, carefully cut out heart shapes from cookies.

Place 6 cookies on parchment paper.

For each heart, first place a mini scoop of ice cream onto each round part of the heart and then one mini scoop on the bottom section of the heart. Squish ice cream down and together a bit to fill in heart completely. Place another heart cookie on top. Make sure it is securely stuck down so it doesn’t slide around.

Dip sandwich in sprinkles and gently roll around until ice cream is covered. Place in freezer-safe container with parchment paper in freezer to set. Repeat for each heart. If you need to layer them, parchment paper in between stops them from sticking together.

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7 Household Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

Coming up on March 17 is the anniversary of the 1845 invention of the humble rubber band, an often-unsung hero of our day-to-day lives. Able to bind bank notes, letters, newspapers and herbs together, they also give jars of preserved food an airtight seal and can even be found as the mounting for hard drives in computer housing. Inspired by its ubiquitous usefulness, here are seven household hacks featuring versatile items that'll make your life easier. Don't cry over spilled paint. Stop paint from running down the can by placing a heavy rubber band around the vertical height of the can. This way, you can wipe off excess paint without making a mess. Keep the tape rolling. Slip a rubber band over the "ears" of your tape dispenser. Because the tape doesn't stick to rubber, it keeps the end from falling through the slot and back onto the roll. Give garden gloves a go. Pop on a pair of cotton garden gloves, and voila! You've turned your fingers into gentle cleaning tools for dust-gathering knickknacks. Flexible coffee filters. Another dust buster is the coffee filter. The thin, cloth-like paper can easily clean your monitor or TV screen. Clean your keys. Easily remove dirty marks from your computer keyboard with a standard eraser. Let the music play on. If you want to listen to music but your Bluetooth speaker's died, put your phone in a drinking glass or bowl to boost the volume level. The old wooden spoon trick. This one is an oldie but a goodie. Put a wooden spoon over the top of your pot to keep it from boiling over. It pops the bubbles and keeps it from overflowing.