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Feb 25
Love0
Spring is Approaching Graphic

Spring is Fast Approaching

By Safety & Maintenance Tips

Spring is fast approaching. We will finally dig ourselves out of the snow and have a chance to smell the tulips. However, as with every new season, there comes new perils. Spring is like a big sister in charge of babysitting her two younger and very destructive brothers, Wind and Hail. Sometimes, she goes places alone and it’s fantastic. Other times she has to drag her siblings with her and they kick up a lot of dust and throw things at windows.

What do we do when children are coming into our lives? We baby proof the house. So what should we do when Spring and her little brothers are headed our way? Prep the house! There are a few fairly inexpensive things you can do to save you from a possible nightmare so why not just knock them out early?

  1. Clean your roof. That’s right, clean it. Kiplinger.com notes if dark streaks and stains cover your shingles, then they likely have an algae problem. Moss can cause asphalt shingles to curl or lift and blow off in high winds. You can get rid of both the dirty look and the potential claim by using a garden sprayer and a 50/50 solution of water and bleach, which you rinse off after 10-15 minutes.
  1. Clean your gutters. I know more cleaning, but they don’t call it Spring Cleaning for nothing. When you don’t have clean gutters, your home is at risk. The website Squeegeepros.com notes that water can seep through your roof or collect at your home’s foundation and seep into your basement. This can slowly destroy your foundation and create MOLD. Both of which are very expensive to fix. Cleaning the gutters however is not so pricey.
  1. Clean out the cellar, if you have one. Most people tend to use their cellar as a storage unit. However, in an emergency, your high school yearbooks and college keepsakes aren’t near as important as your life. Clear the boxes out to that you have a clutter free space to go in the event of a tornado.
  1. Clean out the garage. The garage is a catch all for our things that don’t belong outside, but don’t quite belong in the house either. However, when hail comes knocking, your car shouldn’t suffer. Before the hail reaches your town, maybe at least try to shuffle things around so that you can squeeze your car in the garage when you need to.

Yes this list is all about cleaning. But a little cleaning goes a long way, which can save you a lot of hardship in the event a spring storm strikes near you with those little brothers Wind and Hail.

Feb 20
Love0
Love Your Pet Day Graphic

Love Your Pet Day

By Everyday Living

Today is National Love Your Pet Day, as if we don’t love our pets most other days of the year, except that one day (you know what they did). Regardless of the tough days, most days with pets are full of snuggles, fetch, fun, and love. Today we get to love our pets a little extra and show them just how much we care by giving them extra treats or buying a new toy.

There are tons of ways to show your pet you care. Even if you don’t have a pet, you can visit a shelter and spend some time with those animals so that they can be a pet for a day. Take them for walks or donate food or treats to help out the shelter.

Do you have a dog?  If so, this next insurance related tip is for you.  You can help your dog reduce the risk of biting someone with these recommendations from the ASPCA website, like spaying or neutering your dog, socializing your dog, taking your dog to humane, reward-based training classes and making your dog a part of the family.

No matter what type of pet you have, we hope you enjoy this special day together!

Feb 13
Love0
Jewelry Graphic

New Jewelry? It’s time for an Insurance Review.

By Insurance

Love is in the air and many lucky ducks just might receive some jewelry during the month of February. It’s a wonderfully exciting thing receiving a shiny new token of affection. However, it would be equally as devastating if it were lost, stolen, or broken. It’s not always fun to review insurance coverage every time something is gifted or something changes in your life, but it is definitely a good idea to do so.

Now back to jewelry. Be sure to take good detailed pictures and save them so that you can provide the pictures to your insurance company in the event a claim is ever necessary. Even though your admirer may not want you to know the cost associated with your gift, have them save the receipt — either a digital copy or hard copy so that it is available as well. Receipts are important in the event the device is lost or stolen, especially when it comes to jewelry since so many items are unique and hard to price match.

This next part is important for all jewelry, not just new pieces.

Did you know appraisals only last two or three years? With market changes as well as conditional changes in the jewelry itself, jewelry needs to be reappraised occasionally.

A good appraisal should provide a description complete and detailed enough to adequately replace the item in the event it is damaged, lost, or stolen.  

Did you receive jewelry this month or back around the holidays?  What about a birthday? Contact your agent today and they would be happy to do an insurance review!

Jan 23
Love0
Annual Meeting Graphic

Annual Meeting – February 15

By Newsletter

Attention Danish Mutual Insurance Assn. Policyholders:

The 133rd Annual Meeting of Policyholders will be held Friday, February 15th, 2019 at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church fellowship hall beginning at 1:30pm.

Lunch will be served, and there will be a drawing for door prizes.

Jan 23
Love0
Winter Checklist Header

Winter Checklist for your Vehicle

By Safety & Maintenance Tips

Snow to a child usually means fun days of no school, allowing you to bundle up, grab a sled, and spend the day having epic frozen adventures with your friends. As an adult on the road, snow can be a bit more ominous, so preparing our vehicles becomes important. Each winter consider this checklist before braving the open road:

  • Weight in the trunk or back of truck that has rear-wheel drive – Weight will keep your vehicle from fishtailing on the road. Regardless of the vehicle, the right conditions can cause any car, SUV, or truck to fishtail on an icy road. You can utilize any manner of heavy junk to help alleviate this issue from a cast iron grill, kitty litter (which can help in other ways), bricks, sand bags, etc.  
  • Kitty litter – In the event you get stuck and there is no one around to help unstick you, kitty litter around the tires is great for getting the traction you need to get back on the road quickly. You can also use sand, cardboard, an old blanket, etc.
  • Snacks – granola bars, jerky, protein or energy bars, something to sustain you if you have to wait a while for help to arrive. These snacks will come in handy especially if there are children in the car.
  • Change of clothes – In the event you do get stuck, you are most likely going to get wet getting yourself unstuck or at least attempting to.  You will want a change of clothes because sitting in wet clothes can slow your body from becoming warm and possibly lead to hypothermia. Along with a change of clothes, you may want to have winter accessories such as boots, hat, and gloves. Chances are you’ll get stuck when you’re not dressed for getting out into the mud and snow.
  • Tow strap – Even if you own a small car, a truck may come along to help and they may not have the strap to save you. Better to be prepared to assist in your own rescue.
  • Hand warmers – Hand warmers are quite inexpensive and can keep your hands (or toes) warm for several hours.

There are plenty of other good ideas to have in your car in the winter. Some honorable mentions would be a blanket, a physical map, a tire-pressure gauge (which should always be there no matter the season), spare fluids, and utility knife. Do you have any ideas for winter car necessities? Let us know!