It’s wedding season, and boy, bells are in the air! Are you getting ready for one of the most important days in your life? As you’re preparing for your special day, just think – is there anything you own, valued over $28,000 that you wouldn’t insure? Given that the average wedding now cost over $28,000, and though you may not want to think about it, a lot can go wrong. What if your reception venue goes out of business a month before the wedding, and you lose your deposit and have to find another location? Or a hurricane causes your wedding to be postponed? What if your bridal shop closes, leaving you without a gown? Here at the Webster Insurance Agency, we can help!

For as little as $160, your wedding insurance policy can cover a variety of situations, such as:

• No Dress. You can get repair or replacement cost if the bride’s wedding gown or groom’s tuxedo is lost or damaged.
• Lost Deposits. We can reimburse your deposit if a vendor goes out of business, declares bankruptcy before your wedding, or simply fails to show up.
• Lost Rings. You can receive repair or replacement cost if the bride or groom’s wedding bands are lost or damaged.
• Severe Weather. If severe weather (such as a hurricane) forces you to postpone your wedding, we can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
• Transportation Shutdown. If you have to postpone the wedding because a commercial transportation shutdown prevents the bride, groom or their parents from getting there, you can receive reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
• Ruined Photos. If your photographer’s film is defective, or negatives are lost or damaged, we can help cover the cost to re-take new photos.
• Call to Duty. If the bride or groom is unexpectedly called up to active duty, or has her or his military service leave revoked, forcing you to postpone the event, we can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
• Damaged Gifts. You can get repair or replacement cost if your wedding gifts are damaged.
• Sudden Illness. If the wedding needs to be postponed because sudden illness prevents the bride, groom or their parents from attending, you can receive reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
• Venue Requires Insurance. As an additional option to your policy, you can add liability coverage to protect yourself in case a guest is injured or causes damage to property.
• Additional Expense. If a vendor suddenly becomes unavailable for your event but you can find a last-minute replacement, we can reimburse you for the difference in cost.

How it works:

• Policy issued in policyholders resident state
• Must be purchased at least 14 days prior to event
• May be purchased up to two (2) years prior to event
• Cancellation Coverage expires at 11:59 pm on the wedding date
• Liability Coverage Expires at 2 AM the following morning
• No DEDUCTIBLE

Good luck with your planning, and just remember, getting your wedding insured may be one of the best decisions you make, other than marrying your other half.

If you were watching your favorite TV show last night, you probably couldn’t avoid the commercials from car companies and dealerships mentioning that “now” is the time to buy a car, and give you all of these “too good to be true” deals for a buy or a lease. Unfortunately, most of those deals come with the itty-bitty fine print that we all overlook, screwing us over in the end.

Here’s another article from Nationwide Insurance that give us a few (obvious, but ignored)

tips to help you in the search for the perfect car with the perfect deal.

Buying a car isn’t as easy as shopping for groceries. It’s a lot like buying a house.

There are many decisions to make and it shouldn’t be rushed into. So what do you do now?

First off, answer these questions:

• What do you want?
• What can you afford?
• Does that car fit your lifestyle and your budget?
• Used or new? The new car could come with a warranty to cover repairs, lower maintenance costs and a greater choice in features, options and colors. However, the used could have a lower purchase price and insurance cost and less depreciation.

Next, do some research. You’ll be in a much better bargaining position with a private seller or dealer if you’re armed with information like:

• New and used car prices and features
• Vehicle safety and reliability data
• Used-car history
• Owner satisfaction ratings

Be sure to make your most important decisions – such as what you can afford and what you will and won’t compromise on – before you start shopping. That way the only bumps you should experience are the ones in the road.

Speaking of bumps, make sure that when you get a car you get it insured immediately!!! You don’t want to run into anything without being covered, because that can not only cause a bump in your car, but a bump in your life.

Since we’re all about having fun this summer and staying safe, we want you to make sure your kids are staying safe too, even in the car. If you have a little one riding with you, please make sure you have them properly strapped in before you begin your travels.

In recent studies, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 6 – 14. Sadly, 56 percent of children killed in traffic crashes weren’t properly restrained, or were completely unrestrained. We know that half of all child car seats are used incorrectly without parents knowing it. Proper installation and use of child car seats will help significantly reduce the number of children killed in traffic crashes. Here are some tips brought to you by Nationwide Insurance®…

• Read your vehicle owner’s manual and the child car seat instructions.
• Door-mounted seat belts should be avoided. Your auto dealer can install a special lap belt to keep the child car seat in place.
• Infants should ride in a rear-facing infant-only safety seat.
• At around 40 lbs., children should ride in booster seats until they fit in an adult seat belt, at about 80 lbs.
• Children should always ride in the back seat, especially in cars with air bags. The back seat is safer because head-on collisions are the most common kind.
• When children outgrow safety seats, they must wear their lap and shoulder belt. There must be one belt for each person; buckling two people in one belt, even children, could injure both.

Parents should have their child car seats inspected by a trained technician. For a location near you, visit NHTSA’s Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/CPSFitting/Index.cfm

Have a safe drive with your kids, whether it is to the store or down the shore..

No, I’m not talking about psychological stuff here, I simply mean your identity, and how you can keep those nasty people out there from stealing it. Here are a few tips brought to you by Nationwide Insurance^®…

We know you’ve heard about it, seen it and know someone who suffered through it. But how do you keep your information safe?

• Shred, shred, shred. Shred documents with personal or credit card information on them.
• Guard your SSN. Don’t carry your Social Security card with you and have the number removed from your insurance cards.
• Protect your email and computer. Don’t send sensitive information by email. Use a firewall when you connect to the Internet, and use the security features if you use a wireless network.
• Stay current with your credit. Review your credit report at least annually. Take advantage of websites such as annualcreditreport.com.
• Review credit card statements. Make sure you’re getting charged the right amount at the right place.
• Clean out your wallet. Don’t keep more than two credit cards on hand, and make a copy of them to stick in a different place. Also, write “Ask for ID” on the back of your credit cards so not just anyone can sign for you.
• Keep checks in check. After ordering checks, pick them up from the bank yourself. Consider using just your first initial(s) and last name instead of your full name. This will make it more difficult for someone else to forge your signature.
• Secure your mail. Get a locking mailbox, and always take outgoing mail to a public drop-box. Have the post office hold your mail if you’ll be away.
• Watch for “shoulder surfing.” Always be aware of your surroundings. ID thieves can write your numbers down quickly if you leave your card out while completing a purchase. They can even take a picture of your information with something as small as a cell phone camera.
• Shop online with caution. Be sure you’re using a secure site before entering bank or credit card information online. Use site addresses that begin with https rather than just http, and make sure you can find the locked padlock in your browser window.
• Use anti-virus software. Ensure that you are always running the most up-to-date anti-virus program on your computer.
• Choose passwords wisely. Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and other marks to make it harder to crack or steal your password.
• Protect passwords. Don’t write down your passwords or keep them out where anybody can read them. Don’t allow your browser to auto-fill passwords since these can be easily stolen.
• Beware of “phishing.” Phishing is when would-be identity thieves use a phony email and/or website to fool you into providing your credit card number, password or other information. Don’t respond to these emails. Reputable companies won’t ask for your information in this way.
• Keep your PC clean. Use one of the powerful free spyware removers to make sure that no one is “looking over your shoulder.”
• Don’t respond to phony phone calls. Unless you called the company, don’t provide unknown callers with personal information regardless of who they say they are.

There you go folks, so until next time, keep being you!

Can you believe we’re halfway through the summer? I sure can’t. Boo.

Is anyone planning a roadtrip in the next couple of weeks before this beautiful season comes to a close? Be sure to have that gas tank full, and your car full of your buddies to keep you company for the long ride

Also, it is very important to have your car inspected before any long trip you’re taking. Even if you’re car has recently been inspected, it doesn’t hurt to have an oil change and your tires checked. Oh, and don’t forget to check to make sure you have your registration and proof of insurance with you (as you should whenever you drive), because who knows when you may run into the po-po..

Speaking of insurace, did you know that we cover all types of vehicles, from the typical auto and motorcylcle, to RVs and even off-road vehicles! Wow!

So, have fun on your travels, and be safe out there!