July Newsletter

~Alex Hastings~
Hastings Insurance Solutions LLC
~Guide One~

872 Tanglefoot Ln
Bettendorf IA 52722

563-355-0262 Office
641-494-9494 Cell
855-355-0262 Fax

ExpertInsuranceSolutions
@gmail.com

www.HastingsInsurance
Solutions.com

Are You Making a Mistake with Your Homeowners Insurance?

Buying a home is the biggest investment you'll ever make. With that kind of commitment, you owe it to yourself to protect it.

Before you make a decision on which policy to buy, it pays to be informed. Get up to speed by requesting my free guide, "What You Need to Know Before Buying Homeowners Insurance."

Just reply to this email and I'll send it right out to you.

• 1/4 cup raw chia seeds
• 2 cups vanilla almond milk (or any other kind of milk)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup assorted fresh berries
• Quality dark chocolate for shaving

• Are You Making a Mistake with Your Homeowners Insurance?
• Monitor 'Attractive Nuisances' for a Safe Summer
• Want to Get More ZZZZZZZZs? Log Off
• Get Your Zen on with Coloring Books for Non-Kids
• Worth Quoting
• Recipe: Chia Seed Pudding with Chocolate and Berries
• Do You Know the Answer to Our Quiz?

Some common backyard activities may lead to claims and lawsuits. Don't spoil your summer. Here are some activities you may need to insure against:

"Attractive nuisances": Seventy percent of drownings happen in the summer and occur in backyard pools. A backyard pool is just one example of what insurers call "attractive nuisances"-items that pose great potential danger and are particularly interesting to children. This category also includes ponds, fountains, trampolines, and swing sets.

The solution: Raise liability limits and get umbrella liability insurance. Some insurers will require safety measures; ignoring this could mean cancelled policies or denied claims.

Summer soirees: You've gathered friends and family for a barbecue, complete with wine spritzers and beer. But remember: If alcohol-related accidents happen during or after your party, you're liable for damages in most states.

More than 40 states have host liability laws, making hosts responsible for guests injured-or worse-from consuming alcohol. And more than 35 states have host liability laws that specifically pertain to third-party property damage or injuries stemming from alcohol consumed at your home/party.

Don't leave alcohol in the open, ensure drinkers are of age, and don't push your friends to drink more. Consider taking their keys on arrival. Ask your agent about your state's regulations and be prepared to increase your liability limits.

Grills and fireworks: Fire risks increase in summertime-just consider that grills alone cause roughly $35 million annually in property damage, and fireworks account for two of five fires reported on Independence Day. Set off fireworks as far from your home as possible, and don't place your grill too near porches or trees. Also have fire extinguishers nearby, and ensure you're aware of local fireworks regulations.

Confirm you have adequate liability, property damage, and medical coverage. And don't forget to ask about coverage terms if someone else causes damage or injuries.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 90% of Americans regularly use a computer or other electronic device before going to bed at night.

Yet research suggests that artificial light from electronic devices disrupts brain chemicals that promote sleep. A study conducted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and published in Applied Ergonomics journal indicated that exposure to artificial light from iPads or PC tablets suppressed production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep cycle.

It seems that light from the blue part of the spectrum is the main culprit in inhibiting melatonin production. Smartphones and tablets, which are often illuminated by light-emitting diodes (LEDs), tend to emit more blue light than incandescent products.

One option for blocking blue light is to wear orange-tinted glasses. Another is to cover the screen with a blue-blocking filter. But researchers caution that so-called "blue blockers" have not been adequately tested for effectiveness; it's still best to limit use of brightly lit electronics at night. Also recommended: Use a small screen, dim the screen, and keep the device as far away from the eyes as possible.

We loved them as kids; but now coloring books have a new audience: Adults. Coloring books have become a way for stressed-out adults to get their Zen on through a well-remembered and cherished childhood pastime, reinvented for today.

The trend was triggered by Johanna Basford, a Scottish illustrator whose Secret Garden-inspired coloring book is dominating the Amazon hit list. To date, she's already sold 1.4 million copies worldwide-and she's not the only one. Following Johanna are a flurry of other artists with deeply detailed illustrations to color. The objective: to stimulate imagination and mindfulness.

In a recent article in The Guardian, Basford explains the attraction: "For many people, a blank sheet is very daunting," and adds that with a coloring book the lines are already there, so all you have to add is the color.

The result is an opportunity to take a break from our hectic days. Says Basford, "Now it is socially acceptable...These are books for adults."

Using simple pleasures as a way to make sense of an ever-changing world is a relatively new social movement, visible not just in coloring books but in hot new management books: Seth Godin's V is for Vulnerable is for the 9-to-whatever crowd, but Godin has packaged it as if for a child, complete with cartoons.

Stress-coping strategies don't need to be complicated. Sometimes, the best way to de-stress is to sit down and put crayons to paper. Basford concludes, "I think it is really relaxing, to do something analogue, to unplug..."

IRC Analysis Finds One in Seven Drivers Are Uninsured

MALVERN, Penn.—April 20, 2011— Across the United States, chances are roughly one in seven that a driver is uninsured, according to new estimates from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). The estimated percentage of uninsured motorists declined four straight years before rising to 14.3 percent in 2008 and dropping to 13.8 percent in 2009. The economic downturn is thought to be a major factor in the brief increase.

"The leveling trend in the percentage of uninsured motorists is an unfortunate consequence of the economic downturn and illustrates how virtually everyone is affected by recent economic developments," said Elizabeth A. Sprinkel, senior vice president of the IRC. "Despite laws in many states requiring drivers to maintain insurance, about one in seven motorists remain uninsured. This forces responsible drivers who carry insurance to bear the burden of paying for injuries caused by drivers who carry no insurance at all."

In a new study, Uninsured Motorists, 2011 Edition, IRC estimates the percentage of uninsured drivers countrywide and in individual states for 2008 and 2009. The IRC estimates are based on the ratio of uninsured motorist (UM) insurance claim frequency to bodily injury (BI) claim frequency. UM claims are made by individuals who are injured in accidents caused by uninsured drivers. BI claims are made by individuals injured in accidents caused by insured drivers. The magnitude of the uninsured motorist problem varies from state to state. In 2009, the five states with the highest uninsured driver estimates were Mississippi (28 percent), New Mexico (26 percent), Tennessee (24 percent), Oklahoma (24 percent), and Florida (24 percent). The five states with the lowest uninsured driver estimates were Massachusetts (4.5 percent), Maine (4.5 percent), New York (5 percent), Pennsylvania (7 percent), and Vermont (7 percent).