Time is passing quickly
Can you believe we are already into Fall? Hopefully, it will be stay warm for a few more weeks. Fall is the time we turn clocks back one hour. Don't forget the date ... November 7th.

Due to a recent merger, Brownell Insurance welcomes the clients of Hemeon Insurance and we look forward to providing superior service to all our clients! The Hampton office is located at 860 Lafayette Rd Hampton, NH 03842.
Come see us!

There are many changes on the horizon for Brownell Insurance. Check out our website at www.BrownellInsurance.com.  Many new features including a weekly video blog. Come check us out!

Halloween Safety Tips!

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Safety Council, four times as many children aged 5-14 are killed while walking on Halloween evening as compared to other evenings of the year, and falls are a leading cause of injuries among children on Halloween. Due to the additional foot traffic, drivers have the added responsibility of making sure that they drive safer than usual and take extra care to watch out for all sorts of witches, ghosts, goblins, vampires and other costumed people.

Some people drive their children into subdivisions so that they can collect candy by going house to house in a strange neighborhood. Usually their parents will walk with them or follow behind them in the car. These drivers are distracted by trying to keep an eye on their own children and may not be paying attention to anything else. So, you will need to pay extra attention, particularly to crosswalks, intersections and the sides of the road. Keep scanning all around you as you drive. Children walking on the sidewalks or along the curbs can quickly dart across the street to get to other homes.

With the wearing of sight-restricting costumes, children and adults could be preoccupied and might not pay as much attention as they should to the safety rules of the road. Many children will walk carelessly into the streets, not paying attention to your vehicle or thinking that you will automatically watch out for them. So, you will need to stay on the defensive and slow down. It is recommended that you drive well below the posted speed limit in residential areas during trick-or-treating hours to allow yourself time to brake if you see a child run in front of you.

Halloween is a fun holiday. If we all take safety seriously, by driving carefully and making sure our children are made aware of the dangers, we can enjoy the celebration. Here are a few Halloween and trick-or-treat safety tips that you should consider:

1. Make sure the outside of your house is a safe place for children to roam. Pick up branches, rocks and other debris from your front yard, walkway, and steps. Remove flowerpots, yard ornaments, hoses, and any other outdoor accessories that can easily tip over or cause people to trip.
2. Make sure your outdoor lighting illuminates your walkway and front door. Better lighting will also help to keep the Halloween mischief to a minimum.
3. Decorate the front of your house with harmlessly hair-raising props. Refrain from using real household items like shovels, pitchforks, or heavy buckets for authenticity's sake. Generally, fake, rubber-tipped items are the safest way to go.
4. Be sure to put your pets in the basement or other safe area before the children begin to arrive. Even the most patient pet could become agitated with too many strangers coming to your door.

We hope you have a great Halloween!

We would like to direct you to our website www.brownellinsurance.com. There is an icon on the left side column called “Trusted Professionals”. At this location you will find a list of local business professionals, who have earned our trust. They are businesses that we have either done business with or worked with and found them to be at the top of their professions. Please take a moment to check it out. If you have a service need, these professionals will be able to help you out quickly and reliably. Your comments on their performance are always welcome.

If you are a client and a business owner, contact Marie Brownell at marie@brownellinsurance.com. She will tell you how you too can be added to this valued list of professionals. Every newsletter we will interview one of our Trusted Professionals so you too can get to know them better.

We thank you for your continued patronage and we will continue to strive to earn your trust everyday!

The “Trusted Professional” that we are featuring in this edition is Shari Ridlon owner of Virtual Staff NH.

Virtual Staff NH

Virtual Staff NH provides experienced offsite accounting and administrative support. We offer a variety of services from billing to brochures, financial statements to filing systems. It’s virtually one-stop shopping for assistance with all of your office tasks.

We are experienced in many accounting software programs including QuickBooks, Peachtree, One Write Plus, Mas90, and Excel, among others, and we are experienced in many administrative programs including Word, Publisher, and Power Point to name a few.

We can offer as little or as much assistance as needed. From weekly bookkeeping to project based work such as mail merge and direct mail or monthly newsletters. Give us the task and the deadline then we’ll do the rest. We will get the work completed accurately and on time.

Virtual Staff NH is the modern way to staff your office. It’s more economical than hiring an employee and less hassle than doing it all yourself.

Virtual Staff NH, PO Box 215, East Kingston, NH 03827
Telephone: 603-642-7542, Fax: 603-642-9925
Email: VirtualStaffNH@yahoo.com
www.VirtualStaffNH.com

10 Tips to get your home ready for winter

The fall Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.

Autumn is invariably a prelude to falling winter temperatures, regardless of where you live. It might rain or snow or, as David Letterman says, "Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees."Did you know there is only one state in the United States where the temperatures have never dipped below zero? Give up? It's Hawaii.

Here are ten tips to help you prepare your home for winter:

1) Furnace Inspection

• Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.
• Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
• Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
• If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.
• Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

• Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.
• If the chimney hasn't been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
• Buy firewood or chop wood. Store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
• Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
• Check the mortar between bricks and tuck point, if necessary.

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

• Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
• Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
• Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
• If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
• Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.

4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

• If your weather temperature will fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams.
• Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.
• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.
• Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
• Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment

• Drain gas from lawnmowers.
• Service or tune-up snow blowers.
• Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
• Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
• Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

6) Check Foundations

• Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.
• Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
• Tuck point or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.
• Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
• Secure crawlspace entrances.

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Some cities require a smoke detector in every room.
• Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
• Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.

8) Prevent Plumbing Freezes

• Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
• Drain all garden hoses.
• Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
• Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
• If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

• Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
• Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.
• Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.
• Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
• Don't automatically remove dead vegetation from gardens as some provide attractive scenery in an otherwise dreary, snow-drenched yard.
• Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit

• Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
• Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.
• Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
• Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
• Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

Insuring Teenage Drivers

One minute, your baby is riding safely in the backseat. There is a mirror attached to the rear headrest where you are able to glance and see every smile, every swat at the dangling bright- colored toy links, and every slumber on your travels. Then the next minute, your teenager is trucking down the road in your car, without you, to meet some friends at the mall. You’ve taught your child everything that you know about driving, but then again, they never listen. They believe that you don’t know anything and that they are invincible. Panic sets in. Watching your child grow up and become independent is a painful experience. Another painful experience is receiving your auto insurance bill once your pride and joy gets handed the keys.

Parents often have lots of questions about insuring a teen driver. When? Why? What? How? Where? When should I add my child onto the insurance policy? Why is a teen driver so expensive to insure? What type of car and what type of insurance policy should my new driver have? How can I lower my premiums? Where should I get this insurance? We will attempt to answer all of those questions right here.

When should my child be added to the insurance policy? In some states insurance companies are allowed to require you to list a teen with a driving permit on your insurance policy. Though New Hampshire and Maine are not included in this list of states, it would not be a bad idea to let Brownell Insurance know when your teen receives their driving permit so that we can get to work on finding you the best insurance solutions. Before your teens are officially licensed they are driving on your license. This is why you are required to be with them whenever they are driving. If they get into an accident or get stopped for a speeding ticket, it is your license that will receive the citation. For this reason, many insurance companies do not charge premiums until teens obtain their actual driver’s license. If your child is listed on the policy and gets into an accident after the license was issued, the insurance company is more likely to accept your claim. In the event an accident happened before the teen driver was officially added to the policy, you may be responsible for the premiums dating back to the date of your teen’s license issuance or you may even have the claim denied entirely for lack of disclosure. So, to be on the safe side, make sure that your teen driver is added to the policy no later than the day they are licensed. Your teen driver should be added to your insurance policy or have a policy of their own quickly. In NH, insurance is not monitored by the state, but, if your teen is at fault, you must be able to cover the cost of any accident, out of your own funds, within 10 days or you will be in court. Between court costs, attorney fees, and lost work time, not to mention the monies awarded to the victim for the accident, you may end up paying far more than the cost of adding the teenager onto your auto insurance.

Why is my child so expensive to insure? The obvious reason is that they are at higher risk for accidents and violations. They do not have the same experience as an older driver, are easily distracted, and often make the wrong judgment call. Young drivers are four times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident than any other age group. It is the leading cause of death for teens. Teenagers often have a feeling of immortality and are more careless with safe driving practices such as wearing a seatbelt and obeying traffic laws. Younger drivers often do not understand the concept of the financial hardship that accidents and violations can cause. Teen drivers also lack a positive driving experience. States, especially NH, charge an inexperience point ($90) to drivers with under 2 years of experience. When it comes to insurance, higher risk leads to higher premiums. These higher rates will continue for several years, usually to age 25.

What type of car should my child have? What type of policy should we consider? Most insurance professionals suggest getting a less- expensive, used car. Not only will you save on the cost of the car, especially if you are paying cash, rather than taking out an auto loan, you will also save on your insurance premiums. When you are financing a vehicle, you are required to keep a full coverage insurance policy on the vehicle for the life of the loan. With an older vehicle that has not been financed, you can choose to omit collision coverage, which lowers your premium. You are also eligible to carry a liability- only policy. When adding to an already existing policy of a parent, a teen driver will be a lot less expensive to insure if they are assigned an older, vehicle, rather than being a secondary driver on a newer, more expensive vehicle. By adding onto the parent’s policy, the teen and parent are privileged to a multi- car discount, which will save on the premium. While an older car may not be your teenager’s view of the ideal mode of transportation, the older vehicle will hold up well to the dings, dents, scratches, and other “experience scars” that your new driver may decorate the car with.

A new vehicle does have some advantages. Insurance companies give discounts for cars with more safety features. Airbags, security systems, vehicle tracking devices, etc. are features often rewarded with a discount. If you decide to provide your child with a new car, please think practically with like a Ford Focus or any of the small economy cars. If you are convinced you need to provide your teenager with a sports car, such as a Camaro or Corvette, consider having your child on his or her own policy. The cost to insure a sports car, with a youthful driver, will be quite expensive. Insurance companies feel that giving such a powerful car to a teenager is a recipe for disaster. We, at Brownell Insurance, are here to help you weigh your options and decide on the best combination of coverage and premium for your particular situation.

How can I make sure that I receive the lowest premiums? As stated before, you can save a lot of money by purchasing a liability- only insurance. Collision coverage is expensive, especially with a young driver as the insurance companies anticipate the risk involved. Liability- only is a money saving option for a teenage driver driving an older car that is paid off. If you choose to finance a newer vehicle the bank will require a full coverage insurance policy to protect their investment. This can be quite costly depending on the age and value of the vehicle.

You could also save money by adding your teenage driver to your existing policy. If you choose this option, be sure that you specify which vehicle your teenager will be driving, if possible. Pairing your child with a more expensive car or not specifying a particular vehicle at all will increase your premium. Allow us to compare rates for you. Our mission is to get you the best possible value for your insurance dollar.

Where should I get this insurance? We may be a little biased, but we think Brownell Insurance is a great place to consider for insuring your teenage driver. Visiting our agency is a wonderful alternative to contacting the companies directly. You get the opportunity to sit down with one of our experienced agents, who is able to weigh options and give you quotes from several companies to find you the best coverage for the lowest price. Our agents are knowledgeable and happy to go over the fine details of your insurance policy with you and your new driver. We’ve been there, insuring our own teen drivers. So, we know how you feel. We are a family agency located in your neighborhood and we are always happy to help you navigate the scary experience of insuring your teenager.

We also recommend you ask us about an umbrella policy. This is a liability policy that increases your liability coverage on your home and auto. If your teen does get into a serious accident, the umbrella policy will provide legal council as well as additional liability funds. Our courts are generous with the awards to victims today and if you are not able to pay these awards, the courts have the right to cease your assets. For usually around $250 - $300 per year we can help you to put your mind at ease.

While we cannot save you from the heartache of watching your first born drive off in a car, we can help you to feel more confident in the unforeseen event that they rear-end someone at a traffic light or take out a mailbox. You can be sure that they are in good hands with quality insurance at a reasonable price. Saving you a couple dollars here and there is an added benefit. With the slow economy, we at Brownell Insurance are always looking for new ways to help you save. This is a milestone in your child’s life. Shouldn’t you both enjoy it? Rest assured that you’ve taught them the important rules of the open road; how to drive defensively; always wear a seatbelt; don’t text and drive; and always check your mirrors. Let us take care of the insurance while you just sit back and relax.

Ask Marie!

Come see our new weekly video blog - "Brownie Points". Available at www.mariebrownell.com.

Weekly I will take on your questions to help make insurance less of a mystery. We will explore many different aspects of your personal lines insurance. Become active with our blog...

We would love to hear your comments, concerns and questions.

Please email me at: Marie@Brownellinsurance.com

Our continued partnership is very important to us.

There are many other agencies that can provide insurance coverages to protect your family and business, but none of them offer the SERVICE you can expect from Brownell Insurance Center, Inc (BIC) and Brownell Financial Services Group, LLC (BFSG).

Our mission is to help you identify your business and personal insurance needs accurately and professionally. We will then diligently find the most cost effective solutions available to accomplish your insurance needs and goals. BIC/BFSG is committed to providing its clients with superior service for all of their insurance needs and treating all people with respect and understanding.

We thank you for your continued patronage and for telling others of our 'friendly' service.

Your referrals are the deepest form of flattery.

Sincerely,
Rick & Marie Brownell
Brownell Insurance Center

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